


While my guitar gently weeps

by Buggu



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Also forgive Hanzo for his emotional constipation, Blood and Injury, Canon has changed a bit, Depictions of body transformation, Depictions of mental health issues, Hanzo is in overwatch, I had this tagged as slowburn but I know it might not be a snails pace of slow lol, I hope it's still enjoyable for my readers though, I probably made characters grossly ooc, M/M, McCree goes awoo when he's sad, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, This has been a wip for YEARS, To give you an idea I started this back when Hanzo still had scatter arrows oops, depictions of violence, non-beta'd, werewolf!McCree
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22087645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buggu/pseuds/Buggu
Summary: From the moment of joining Overwatch, Hanzo was alluded by the mystery of Jesse McCree.He knew there was something strange about the man but could never really name the odd feeling. McCree always looked so happy, was friendly to everyone, at least when they weren’t on a mission. During critical missions on the battlefield, Jesse McCree was a much different man. Hanzo observed from afar on his vantage points that the man was always poised and alert, his precision was immaculate, when it was serious....Or perhaps his years of being a social recluse clouded his judgment.
Relationships: Implied Genji/Zenyatta - Relationship, Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada
Comments: 9
Kudos: 85





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let me tell you all, when I first started this fic, I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with this. I worked on it for a few months a back in late 2016 or early 2017 ish?? (to give you an idea, Hanzo could still kill you with stupidly amazing scatter arrows in game OK!) And then I kind of forgot it and stopped working on it.
> 
> Then I saw this beautiful and amazing comic on tumblr https://haedraulics.tumblr.com/post/189938352850/my-full-comic-for-rising-moon-a-mchanzo-werewolf and I CLUTCHED my figurative pearls because it made me remember "WAIT SHIT I HAVE A WEREWOLF!MCHANZO FIC???"
> 
> So here it is. I know this fic is so silly and cliche but it has a soft spot in my heart. I'm not looking for critique on this (unless I have bad grammar or spelling, that's fine). I understand that there might be new canon established but I hope you all enjoy this nontheless. Have a fantastic day and enjoy the ride!

From the moment of joining Overwatch, Hanzo was alluded by the mystery of Jesse McCree.

He knew there was  _ something _ strange about the man but could never really name the odd feeling. McCree always looked so happy, was friendly to everyone, at least when they weren’t on a mission. During critical missions on the battlefield, Jesse McCree was a much different man. Hanzo observed from afar on his vantage points that the man was always poised and alert, his precision was immaculate, when it was serious.

Hanzo could see why his teammates praised McCree’s skill. Even Genji often bragged about the man in Hanzo’s vicinity; after a few months of lingering around like a quiet shadow, Hanzo understood why. Despite the fact that Hanzo was distant from the others, every time he got a glimpse of Jesse McCree, the man would grin, tip his Stetson in Hanzo’s direction and be on his way.

...Or perhaps his years of being a social recluse clouded his judgment

The day before an upcoming briefing was usually the calm before the storm. Very slow and uneventful, Hanzo played the role of an observer as usual and sat in a corner of the rec room. A cup of green tea rested in Hanzo’s hand--occasionally he took pensive sips--as he listened to the hustle and bustle from the others. Hana Song and Lúcio Correia dos Santos, the team’s youngest members at the moment, eagerly passed by in conversation. They talked about the newest video games and music and ways to utilize strategies on the next mission.

Memories crept upon him as Hanzo watched the pair longer than he had intended. Memories of his own brother from their childhood. What a fool he was.

Soon after, as if on queue, Genji and his...teacher came into the room, lost in their own conversations. There was much secrecy between them, but it was even obvious to Hanzo that there was much more to their  _ relationship _ then what Genji had told him. The way they openly touched one another, intimate gestures...More often than not, Hanzo spotted his brother resting his head against the omnic’s shoulder when they sat in meditation. But, the elder Shimada never questioned him.

He was not blind, but Hanzo never bothered his brother for clarification. Part of him felt like he had no place asking Genji such a personal question, considering their history.

Genji waved to Hanzo after he and Zenyatta broke apart. The omnic lingered by Hanzo’s table as his brother went to fetch some tea for himself.

“Greetings, Hanzo. It is such a lovely day, is it not?”

Hanzo paused from his drink mid-sip and looked to the monk.

“Hello,” he said quietly and nodded in agreement. “The weather is fair.”

“Indeed. I am quite looking forward to the next few weeks. I do hope you will be attending?”

Hanzo made a confused and curious sound when he found Zenyatta’s impassive gaze on him, as if expecting something. “Attending? A mission?”

“Has Genji…?” Zenyatta’s voice trailed off as he brought his hand to rest against his chinplate. “Ah, do not mind me,” he then announced and departed with a slow hover.

Hanzo frowned at the strange interaction and watched as the omnic pressed closer to his brother and whispered something. Hanzo’s brow raised high on his forehead as he watched Genji freeze up by whatever the omnic said and hissed something back. And just as quickly as they appeared in the rec room, they departed again, with Genji hesitantly waving to Hanzo once more.

Soon after, there was a distinct jingle of heavy footsteps and spurs clinking. Hanzo perked up as he caught a flash of red and watched as Jesse McCree stepped through the doorway. He halted in his tracks for a split second, caught Hanzo’s stare, and made a finger gun motion at the archer, following it with a wink. Hanzo blinked in surprise and hesitantly nodded in acknowledgment to the man.

He watched as McCree strolled forward, distinctly humming The Ecstasy of Gold as he made his way to the food cart. Hanzo caught occasional looks at McCree’s well-built form from the folds of the golden trimmed serape.

Hanzo reflected over the oddity of the man’s eating habit when he realized McCree only picked the meat, no vegetables or fruits, or even a drink to accompany the meal.

“Mind if I join ya, Shimada-kun?” McCree was now standing at his table, clutching his plate. His expression remained unbothered as he flicked the tip of his hat up to get a better look at Hanzo.

Hanzo gulped his tea down and nodded much too quickly. McCree merely chuckled and took the seat directly across from him. “There is no need for such formalities.”

“Figured ya’d enjoy some company. Or do ya like the lonesome?” McCree began to...devour into the steak. He stabbed his fork into it, skipping using a knife all together and took large bites from the slab of meat.

“I do not mind conversing,” he fumbled with his words as he watched how McCree effortlessly chomped down on the large piece of cooked meat. “I suppose I am just...rusty from spending so much time in isolation.”

“Heh. I s’pose I understand that. Back before the Recall,” McCree began. He took a moment to stuff more of the steak into his mouth. “Was a bit of a stray, roaming around. Finding work where I could. Staying on the run.”

“It is nice to have stability I’d imagine,” Hanzo murmured, studying the tea in his cup.

McCree made a hum of agreement as he swallowed down another mouthful of meat. “So, ya explore much of the island? There’s a great view at night.”

“Not very much beyond the railway facing the sea. It’s a lovely view,” Hanzo admitted. “I suppose I find myself drawn to the ocean.”

“Well, if no one else has taken ya up on it, I’d be more than happy to show ya ‘round, darlin’. A bit of an off-road tour of sorts?”

“I…” Hanzo frowned, still feeling uncertain by the sudden bout of friendliness. “I wouldn’t want to take up your time.”

“Not at all,” McCree murmured. “And, uh, if I overstep my boundaries, just lemme know, darlin’. My bark’s worse than my bite,” he added with a wink and quickly downed the remainder pieces of steak in seconds. “I just thought maybe after two months of being strangers, I should be more welcomin’ to ya.”

Hanzo canted his head, took another sip before a smile broke out. “Very well. Where shall I meet you?”

McCree picked up his plate and licked the leftover juices on it. He then set it down, licked his chops--almost looking like a predator content with its meal--and flashed a toothy grin. Hanzo was surprised to see how the man’s teeth seemed...sharp? But, a part of himself argued that he had never really been this close to McCree before, so perhaps it only looked strange to him. “In the shooting range, there’s a secret ladder that leads up to the roof. Meet me there after midnight.”

Hanzo nodded again. “Midnight it is.”

He was surprised with himself more than anything, how easily he agreed to spend more time with McCree. He watched the man shuffle his serape and push up from his chair, plate in tow. “See ya tonight, Shimada,” he murmured with a tip of the hat and walked off.

The elder Shimada felt a strange flicker in his heart--as if it had skipped a beat--and his eyes were glued to McCree’s retreating red serape. As before, he was confidently humming along to the same song.

“Oi, Jesse! Jesse, you won’t believe--” Hanzo had finally gotten used to the members of Overwatch and their unusual quirks, but Lena Oxton was definitely the most unusual of them. Not that she seemed awful or unkind. Even Hanzo couldn’t argue that her bubbly personality wasn’t pleasant to be around. The brunette woman had appeared in a flash beside Hanzo’s table. “Sorry, luv, was McCree here? I coulda sworn I heard him a second ago.”

“Just missed him. Is there something wrong?” Hanzo asked, picking up on her excited posture. 

“Not at all! I was just going to let him we’ve got more of the old team heading here! I’m chuffed to bits!”

Before Hanzo could even ask what ‘chuffed to bits’ meant, Lena was gone as quickly as she appeared.

He returned to his room after that and spent it in solace. He had much to reflect on during his meditation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awoo


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna spoil you all with the second chapter, but from here on, I think I'm going to go with weekly updates. That way I have time to make sure I like how the flow of each chapter is going.

He made his way to the shooting range, even hours before the meetup time, and used the time to test his skills. He picked the farthest target from the doorway, so any other visitors would not disturb him as he practiced. 

He imagined a battlefield as he drew his weapon: ten targets--two high up on a rail, three standing before him with guns drawn, and the rest peeking in and out of cover. Hanzo’s eyes darted back and forth as he drew his modified arrow, one designed to break into a scattershot once it impacted a solid surface. Holding his breath, Hanzo aimed at the floor before the three targets with a calculated sight and fired. In a flash, the long arrow splintered apart and instantly connected with the three ground targets. Hanzo smirked when he saw that each bullseye on the head had an arrow sticking out. 

He dipped down, pretending gunfire was upon him and glanced over to the most visible target. Hanzo inhaled again as he knocked another arrow and lined up a shot. With no pause, he fired and watched as the arrow beelined towards the head and pierced the very center. And then, the remaining targets all began to move, left and right, up and down; to stimulate ‘real’ sporadic behavior and movements. When he took another glimpse out from his cover, Hano eyed one of the targets on the railway and lined up his shot. Just as the others, the arrow flew directly into the center.

Another perfect shot. 

Hanzo pulled back several feet and scrambled up the raised platform five meters in the air. He surveyed the ground and then back towards the railing; in an instant he drew another arrow and shot at the target, and just as the others, the target instantly turned off as an arrow lodged itself in the bullseye.

“That makes six,” Hanzo whispered, eyes focusing on the remainder like a hawk. 

His eyes darted back and forth as his hands retrieved and docked another scatter arrow on his bow. He stepped to the edge of the platform, eyes narrowed, and held his breath as he dropped off. His arm drew back and with no hesitation, he fired at the wall behind them. As he fell the remaining feet to the floor, Hanzo watched as the arrow broke apart--hitting each and every target with calculated precision.

He paused and studied the scene before him: all targets had been taken down and not a single miss. A pleased grin appeared on Hanzo’s face as he wiped his forehead with the back of his palm. 

A sudden clapping behind him startled Hanzo. He jerked up and glanced over his shoulder. There stood McCree again, arms crossed against his chest and leisurely leaning against the wall. “Nice shootin’ there, Hanzo.”

Hanzo quickly brushed his ribbon--which had flopped over his shoulder from the dramatic fall--against his back and skimmed downward at his appearance, hoping he looked presentable. The reserved part of him wondered how long McCree had been watching him, the other, prideful half was scolding himself for not realizing someone else had been in the shooting range. 

“Thank you,” Hanzo replied and nodded at Jesse. “I did not see you come in.”

The man chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. “Well actually, funny story. I was takin’ a nap in here. Then I woke up to yer fancy display there.”

Hanzo blinked rapidly and latched his Storm Bow against his backstrap. “I prefer to be prepared for any situation.”

McCree continued laughing and stretched his arms out. “Not sure how often ya’d need to do a little trick shot like that, but good point.” He pushed himself off the wall and crossed the distance between them. However, McCree continued walking past Hanzo. “Well, it’s almost midnight anyway. Why don’t we head up now?” 

The man whistled again and strolled over to a discolored large square patch on the wall. Hanzo followed after him, watching intently as McCree dipped his fingers against a crack between metal sheets. The metal--which looked...newer compared to the rest of the wall--slid away easily. 

“This is a maintenance ladder from years back, way before the original team was disbanded. The room’s been remodeled and updated since then. The railway lets ‘em get up to the ceiling now without having to climb all the way up to the roof,” McCree explained as he pushed the metal away. “But that don’t mean I’m gonna stop using it.”

“I see,” Hanzo replied as he watched McCree grip the metal bars and ascended up the path with surprising agility. It was surprising and intriguing how a man with his body type could move so quickly.

“Ya comin’ or ya just gonna enjoy the view?” McCree called down to him, teasingly. 

Hanzo made a surprised noise and averted his eyes. His hands gripped the bars and he quickly climbed after McCree. With years of experience from climbing up regular walls with no assistance, Hanzo quickly scaled up the ladder and was on McCree’s trail within seconds. 

He followed after the other man after he disappeared through the unlatched opening. As soon as he came in contact with the roof, Hanzo took a deep breath. The wind was cool and relaxing--it carried a briny scent--and the waves distantly tumbled against the jagged rocks below. A mellow sigh escaped his lips, shoulders sagging in his calm state, as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the smell.

Hanzo heard a distinct hiss from a match being struck, heard the tiny spew of a flame, and listened as McCree took a puff from his lit cigar. “Gorgeous, ain’t it?”

The archer nodded and gazed out at the sea. He spotted several ships sailing by and the lighthouse guiding their way with long beams of light. With a smile, he sighed again and nodded before murmuring a soft, “It is.”

“When you’re finished sightseeing, follow me darlin’,” McCree stated and walked across to the other side of the roof. He approached a long trail on the mountainside, leaned against the railway, and then threw his weight over it. Hanzo waited mere seconds before following after him and cautiously climbing over the railing. Several curious barbary macaques stirred from their sleep and considered the two men with a sleepy glance before they perked up and growled. Hanzo blinked, caught off guard by the sudden aggression. The monkeys bared their fangs and immediately darted away into the cover of overgrown bushes.

“How strange,” Hanzo murmured as he listened to the wavering cries of the macaques.

McCree had paused and watched as the animals fled. He quietly observed the fleeing primates and tilted his head to the side. “They’re a tad skittish around people, believe it or not.” He took a sharp puff of his cigar and resumed walking ahead. “Anyway, they won’t bother us. Don’t mind ‘em. Might wanna watch yer footin’ by the way.”

After glancing down and spotting the uneven earth at their feet, Hanzo quickly nodded and tailed the other man like a shadow. They pushed through neglected and overgrown branches for several minutes; wonder flourished in Hanzo as he followed along. It was beautiful in the quiet and serene forest. A waxing gibbous moon teased light overhead, its glowing form shimmering through the clouds. McCree paused when he came to an overhead ledge and waited for Hanzo, taking another puff of his cigar.

“Ever wanna be to yourself, feel free to come here,” he explained as he watched Hanzo peer over the edge. “Winston and Angela know about this little area, but they never come up here.”

Hanzo gaped. The view was...beautiful. The ledge overlooked a deep grove nestled in an inward pit. Nature grew unbound, without limits. Wildflowers were scattered around a thin ring of trees, the moonlight coated the scenery in a soft, pale glow. McCree flashed another grin and tipped his hat at Hanzo before dropping down. Hanzo watched, mouth gaped, as he scaled down the rocky pathway. 

He glanced around wildly, taking in the quiet and untouched area. 

But, his attention shifted away from the ground--as McCree had warned--and Hanzo felt a thick root in the soft earth as he nearly reached the bottom. The archer jerked as he plummeted forward, clawing at the air in panic and out of instinct. He fell into something warm and firm. He felt a pair of muscular arms wrapped around his back, supporting him.

“Heh heh! Can’t say I didn’t warn ya about the footing, darlin’.” 

Hanzo froze for a split-second as stared at how well...built the man was; how easily he held Hanzo flush against him, a few inches in the air. McCree’s eyebrows were raised in amusement and his lips pulled into a large grin. Hanzo felt stunned as he got an up and personal view of McCree’s eyes: a deep amber shade, mischievous and lively. 

“You...alright there?” McCree asked after a beat of silence.

Reality snapped back harshly against Hanzo, feeling heat decorate his cheeks, and he awkwardly stepped out of reach from the other man’s arms. He brushed himself off and darted his eyes away from McCree’s stare. “Y-yes. Thank you!” He wanted to slap himself after hearing how his voice cracked with embarrassment. 

McCree’s gentle and deep chuckle filled the air as he turned around and resumed walking. He whistled along to another verse of Ecstacy of Gold as he strolled ahead. 

As they approached the center of the grove, Hanzo spotted a pair of foldable camping chairs and a fire pit. 

“So, Hanzo, what’s your poison?” McCree asked as he pulled out a cooler behind one of the chairs and pulled out a few bottles. “Water? Liquor? Nothing?”

“Ahh…” Hanzo blinked several times as studied his surroundings and he patted the urn tied to his waist. “I carry my own...poison,” he replied with a smile. 

“Nothing wrong with that,” McCree murmured as he waved Hanzo over. “Take a seat and I’ll get the fire goin’.”

Hanzo closed the distance between them and sat down on the closer of the two chairs. After the strain from practicing on the shooting range, it felt nice to be off his feet. He untied his gourd and eyed it in consideration. “I must admit, I was...surprised by your invitation. I certainly didn’t expect such beauty here.”

A single strike of his match is all McCree needs to get a fire started after he tosses it in with tousled firewood and leaves. He watches over it for a few moments, making sure the embers catch, before turning back to Hanzo and slumping down in the empty chair. “I meant what I told ya, Shimada. We want you to feel welcome here. Genji spoke about ya a lot back during the good ol’ days; I’d love to get to know you more,” he explained as he took one of the beer bottles out of the cooler and skilfully twisted the bottle cap off. 

“Genji did?” Hanzo blinked and frowned.

“Now, at the time, he was being a tad bit biased,” McCree admitted before taking a gulp of his beer. “But I don’t wanna nag ya about private matters like that. Genji is happy now. Especially since he made up with his brother. He’s been saying for years, it’s all water under the bridge.”

“That sounds like him now…” Hanzo’s brow furrowed with guilt. He bit against his bottom lip. He didn’t deserve Genji’s forgiveness--even if they had ‘made up’. Hanzo knew he could never redeem himself for his actions.

“Sorry,” Jesse quickly shook his head and reached under his serape, pulling out a metal tin. He opened it, took a few bites of the tin’s content. “It’s not my place to talk about it. Want some jerky?” he changed the subject by waving a strand of the dried meat at Hanzo.

“You certainly enjoy meats, don’t you?” Hanzo couldn’t help but snort in amusement. 

“What can I say?” McCree waggled his eyebrows as Hanzo took a reserved drink from his gourd. “I have certain...cravings,” he emphasized with a wink. 

Hanzo nearly spat his sake out.

“You alright?” McCree sat up attentively, almost looking ready to jump up from his chair.

“I-I’m fine. It merely went down the wrong tube.”

Something in the man’s expression told Hanzo that McCree didn’t exactly believe him, but he didn’t voice any skepticism. 

A few hours passed as they sat by the fire, sharing stories with one another. Jesse spoke of his youth: getting involved with the Deadlock Gang. How he avoided a life sentence of incarceration due to his old commander, Gabriel Reyes, and joining Blackwatch at the age of only seventeen years old. From what Jesse spoke of his old group, it was clear Blackwatch was the shadow of Overwatch’s; the shadow carrying out all the dirty work to keep the pristine reputation intact. 

Hanzo could feel the indulgence to his sake starting to get to his head. He felt...loose. Relaxed. Content. He found himself sitting beside McCree on the ground, the chairs discarded behind them, as they stared up at the moon. The cool night air felt nice against Hanzo’s skin. Insects chirped in the distance.

“It’s gonna be a full moon soon,” Jesse had suddenly stated, startling Hanzo from his thoughts. 

“It will be,” Hanzo agreed, a subtle slur upon his tongue. If he had been soberer, he would have realized he was lingering dangerously close to the other man: mere inches from skin to skin contact. But in his drunken reverie, Hanzo enjoyed it. “When I was younger, Genji said I was a lot like the moon. Mysterious, unpredictable, but bright to a chosen few…” A small smile formed on Hanzo’s face, but it died just as quickly. “Do...you think the moon hides because it feels remorse or guilt?”

McCree opened his mouth to reply, but he paused when Hanzo rested his head against his shoulder. A pitiful laugh escaped the archer’s lips. 

“I...I killed my brother and he forgives me?”

Hanzo blinked when firm hands reached for his shoulders, gently squeezing them, as Jesse guided him. He turned a few degrees and faced Jesse McCree fully. 

“Don’t dwell in the past Shi--Hanzo,” McCree murmured softly and pressed his palm against Hanzo’s cheek. His thumb, rough and callous, trailed against his cheekbone and rubbed along the corner of the archer’s eye.

With the sudden contact, Hanzo froze. Despite how strong his stupor felt, he began to notice the wild and frantic thrums of his heart. His skin heated up. Gasps of air clogged his throat. He wasn’t sure how to react when he realized how...nice it felt having McCree touching him; caressing his cheek. He shyly dared to bring his hand up to Jesse’s forearm and rested it along the muscled limb.

Two sets of eyes locked in each other’s stare.

Hanzo wasn’t sure who acted first, but the next thing he knew was that their lips met together. He made a half-hearted gasp, which quickly gave to a muffled moan, and dug his fingers against McCree’s serape. McCree produced a startled sound, but he quickly adapted and curled one hand around Hanzo’s neck and rested the other against Hanzo’s waist. The moment lasted for what felt like an eternity before they pulled away.

They both remained quiet--Hanzo panting heavily while Jesse pulled back and ran a hand down his chin.

“Maybe...uh…” The other man struggled with his words, but a goofy grin formed on his face. “Guess we both drank a little too much, huh?”

Hanzo felt his face heat up intensely. He could still taste the cigar and liquor from Jesse’s mouth lingering on his tongue. 

“Hanzo?” 

The archer flinched away from the other man, fingers touching his lips in consideration. He could feel the last few hours of alcohol drying up in his system; it left him feeling tingly but definitely sobered up. His cheeks burned afluster and his eyes were wide like a deer caught in a bright headlight.

The next thing Hanzo knew, he was darting away; stumbling through the forest and fleeing with instinct guiding him. He stumbled several times as he clawed his way back up the path Jesse had led him down. In the distance, he heard McCree’s voice calling after him, but Hanzo couldn’t bring himself to stop. Tiny scratches decorated his exposed arm, dirt coated the trim of his hakama and prosthetics. Twigs broken from trees were tangled in his hair, but Hanzo ignored it.

He ignored everything--the crackles of his emotions, flashbacks of the kiss rewinding over and over in his mind--as he rushed back towards the railway he and McCree had jumped across and he fled over it. He scrambled over the metal bars and fled down the ladder. The rough and uneven movements made his stomach lurch threateningly, but he pushed past the nausea. 

Luckily, no one on the base was awake; aside from the ever-present a.i. Athena--though she was silent even if she was watching Hanzo stumble to his room. He skipped taking a shower or changing his clothes in favor of shuffling to his bed and collapsing face-first against it. Fatigue swarmed his body the instant he came into contact with the bedding. 

He pressed his palm against his mouth and quickly dragged it to his forehead. He could still feel the other man’s lips pressed to his own in vivid detail: how it felt to be so close to McCree, how warm his body was, how Hanzo didn’t really want the kiss to end…

The digital clock displayed 3:37 a.m. when Hanzo drifted into the uneasy calm and squeezed his eyes shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you guys that I'm still mad because they took Hanzo's ability out of the game but not for the gamer reason. I spent hours studying the actual movement of it to try and describe it. Then while I was still working on it, they announced it was going to be removed. LOL
> 
> Rate awoo for that steamy kiss


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I kind of lied. Have one more chapter because I felt bad they've been sort so far. It is possible they'll get longer, but I dunno. How do you guys feel with the chapter lengths so far?

_ He was walking alone. The forest was cold, damp, misty. Silence dominated the area; not even an insect dared to interrupt it. Blankets of fog were rolling through the trees and swarmed Hanzo in ghastly sheets. Unlike the previous visit, the area felt more dangerous; less beautiful than it had been with McCree. In the sky, a full moon. But...red waterfalls fell from its surface. The unmistakable smell of blood caught his attention as a nervous sweat rolled down Hanzo's temple. _

_ An inhumane howl made Hanzo freeze, never hearing such a cry before. In the distance, a sharp pair of yellow eyes glowed. A four-legged beast stalked closer, parting the fog like a sharp knife. It was nearly twice the size of a bear, with matted fur and a long tail swaying behind it. It was focused on him intensely: lips rippling as it snarled and exposing sharp crimson-stained fangs, fur raised against its neck and back, with each step forward a menacing one.  _

_ “Stay back!” Hanzo hissed and reached for his bow, only to realize he was unarmed. He glanced over his shoulder and patted his body in disbelief, but his weapon was not strapped on his back and his quiver was gone. He cursed himself as he took several steps back. He felt a tree against his backside and quickly glanced up when he heard a rustling above. _

_ Resting in the tree branches were two blue snake-like forms. Glittering scales covered their lithe bodies, a set of horns decorated both creatures’ heads and a distinct blue tuff of fur ran along their spine and down to their tails. They coiled against one another as they perched high above Hanzo. Their eyes were a glowing milky white and stared down into his very core. Hanzo recognized them all too well, like the creature tattooed on his left arm. _

_ The dragons. _

_ Hanzo snapped his attention back towards the approaching danger, eyes darting around for a possible escape.  _

_ The beast before him was getting closer and closer. _

_ He gave the dragons a pleading glance and pressed back against the tree. “Help me!”  _

_ One of the dragons canted its head but neither creature moved.  _

_ The last thing Hanzo saw was the dark blur leaping for him and felt razor-sharp teeth digging into his neck. _

\-- _ eep. Beep. Beep. _

Hanzo’s eyes shuttered several times as he sat up. His chest rose and sank in convulsions as panicked breathing escaped his mouth. He frisked his neck, feeling for any signs of a bite. He glanced around, confused and anxious. He was alive? The palpitation of his heart threatening to burst out of chest confirm that yes, he was alive. He was still in his room, in his bed. His blanket had fallen to the floor and his pillows were scrunched up by his sides.

It had been a few years since he tossed and turned so much in his sleep. 

When Hanzo tried to sit up in bed, he hissed when a painful soreness struck his legs. He had forgotten to take off his prosthetics. He sucked air between his teeth as he slowly, slowly, slowly placed his metal feet on the ground and pushed himself up. It didn’t hurt, so much as sending an uncomfortable and stiff sensation up his thighs. 

“Agent Hanzo?” The crystal clear voice of the base’s artificial intelligence echoed in his room. 

Hanzo stood up straighter, trying to feign his discomfort, and cleared his throat. “...Yes?”

“You slept through your initial alarm so I wanted to make you didn’t oversleep,” Athena clarified, voice very calm and passive. “However, the briefing for the upcoming mission is moved back by an hour.”

“Understood,” Hanzo replied quietly, unsure of what to make of Athena. “Thank you for the notice.”

Athena didn’t verbally reply, but Hanzo heard a distinct beep as her end of the comm. line turned off. It made the archer wonder just how far her influence extended in the Watchpoint; how many...private moments she silently witnessed. Did she know about what transpired between he and McCree just the night before? He brushed off the invasive thoughts of the cowboy and quickly gathered a new outfit to change into: a blue kyudo-gi and matching set of hakama.

The shower was fairly quick--considering Hanzo needed to use a chair to relieve the pressure in his stumps--and quiet. He was clean. A tired and uncertain, but now clean, mess.

After Hanzo finished drying off, getting dressed, and pulling his still damp hair back with his hair tie, he rushed out of the bathroom. He needed some tea, desperately. 

He took a deep breath of air before gathering the courage to open his door. He passed by Lucio in the hall--who was rubbing his eyes, looking dead tired, and complained about hearing strange howling--and gave the young musician a sympathetic nod. The nearest town was at least a few miles away, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if a stray dog had wandered nearby. 

His train of thought was interrupted by an energetic Lena zipping by and giving him a giggling greeting. “Sorry. Didn’ mean t’frighten you! ‘M just so excited we’re heading to my old stomping ground!”

Hanzo mused she must have been referring to the destination of the next mission. Word traveled quickly through the base that King’s Row was an upcoming location of interest. And right away, she was ‘blinking’ off again.

A distinct sound of a guitar caught his attention after Hanzo had made a quick stop to grab some breakfast. He stopped in his tracks to admire the strumming. He recognized the tune, a Beatles song, though it was over a hundred years old.

Feeling curious about the relaxing melody, Hanzo followed the soft rifts.

“--ook at the floor and I see it needs sweeping...still my guitar gently weeps,” the familiar voice sang softly, deep and passionate. Hanzo turned a corner and slowly peeked past the doorway the sound was coming from. There sat Jesse McCree, sitting on a crate, and strumming away at an old guitar nestled on his lap. His eyes were closed and his face was calm, though his brows furrowed with concentration.

Suddenly, regret and embarrassment flooded him as he thought back on the night before--the drinks, the kiss, running away from McCree--and Hanzo wanted to turn tail then and there. But...what if McCree heard him? What if he opened his eyes the exact moment Hanzo moved? Hanzo felt trapped and watched uneasily as Jesse continued playing on his guitar, seemingly oblivious to the archer’s presence. 

McCree’s singing died down to a hum as his fingers danced along the guitar strings. The rift carried on for almost a minute; Hanzo simply watched.

After more humming, McCree took a soft breath and continued singing along with the music. “Don’t know how you were diverted...you were perverted too…” He opened his eyes.

Hanzo froze. McCree blinked in surprise but continued playing his guitar. He tilted his head back and focused entirely on Hanzo. His fingers paused before readjusting them along the strings and jumping ahead with the rift. “I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping, while my guitar gently weeps.”

He swallowed his anxiety down, took a few breaths, backed away a few steps from the doorway. He noticed that the guitar instantly stopped. 

“Hanzo!” McCree followed after him with quick, heavy footsteps. A hand grabbed Hanzo’s shoulder and made him pause. “Look...I don’t want there to be no bad blood between us or nothin’. If it’s better, we can pretend last night never happened.”

Heat flushed to Hanzo’s cheeks, but he couldn’t bring himself to face the other man. “Do you regret it then?”

Jesse sidestepped around to stare directly into Hanzo’s gaze. “Naw. I thought it was amazing. But, if it’s too much for you, I ain’t gonna pressure you into anything.”

Hanzo frowned. McCree’s eyebrows were raised high, his expression was concerned, and he towered a few inches over him. “I...I...I am uncertain.”

“That’s fair,” McCree agreed and gave him a reassuring smile. “To be honest, I, uh, did make it a little too comfortable last night, huh?”

“Perhaps we can discuss it more after we return.” Hanzo frowned, eyebrows sinking down. “I do not want to risk this distracting us during our mission.”

Jesse nodded and lowered his hands away. “Work first, I gotcha.” He stepped back and began to turn away. Though he paused after a few steps and looked over his shoulder. “And by the way, Hanzo? A frown don’t suit ya much.” He winked and went back to the room. 

Hanzo jerked still and watched the retreating man with a slanted smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gasp* He said the title.
> 
> And I know, I know, it's not good for people for prosthetics to sleep with them on. But since Overwatch is supposed to be in the 2070s, I'm sure health care and medicine is much more advanced than ours lol.
> 
> Also if I remember correctly, I was gushing over the movie Kubo and the two strings at the time of this. Please go watch it if you haven't yet!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZeC3-gnduw I cannot believe I almost forgot to link McCree's va singing. I pretty much imagine this is how our favorite cowboy sounds.


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, last chapter for a week, I swear. I hope you all enjoy Zen spouting out all the life choice advice.

When Hanzo returned to the shooting range, wanting to get more practice in before the meeting, he was surprised to see Genji’s teacher already occupying the area. It was so unusual to see a monk, a being known for pacifism, flinging attacks at the overhead targets. Hanzo watched as the omnic flowed like a river; calm and slow one moment and then snapping forward like a powerful stream.

He lingered in the doorway, debating whether to enter the room or not, until Zenyatta rotated to return a stare. He waved Hanzo closer with a flick of his hand. Hanzo strode forward, keenly examining his bow and then looked back to the omnic.

“Hello, Hanzo. I presume you are here to practice just as I?” the omnic asked when Hanzo was within earshot.

“I am,” he affirmed while adjusting his quiver’s strap. He took his place on Zenyatta’s left and drew an arrow. “I was under the impression that the Shambali were non-combative. Do you often need to defend yourself with force?”

“It is true that my brothers and sisters do not follow this same path as mine,” Zenyatta admitted while he took aim and sent one of his orbiting spheres towards a distant target. “Though if every branch on a tree grew in a singular direction, the tree would not flourish.”

“I...suppose.” 

“I have found during my time that the destination justifies the journey. During hardship, one must be the force of change they wish to see.” Another orb flew to the next target and disappeared into a bright flash upon impact. “As much as I would wish, I can not carry the ideal that every being is peaceful and only wishes for a positive change.”

“That other omnic, Mondatta, was it?” Hanzo asked as he docked his next arrow and drew back, the nock momentarily resting on his cheek before Hanzo released it. Bullseye. “He was your brother?”

Hanzo had only learned of the events recently. Mondatta was a beloved public figure, vying for peace, that was assassinated.

“He was. I miss him dearly.” 

Hanzo heard a crystal clear chime as another of the orbs perfectly hit its target. 

“I am--” Hanzo struggled for his words “--sorry for that.” It felt too personal. Thoughts of Genji nearly overwhelmed him.

The omnic merely shook his metal head and faced Hanzo once more. An orb rested in his hand, though it levitated just as Zenyatta’s body did. “I have come to terms with his loss long ago. It does not pain me to speak of him. But I must ask, can the same be said of you, Hanzo?”

Hanzo had been in mid-pull with his next arrow when Zenyatta asked him the question. It caused his arms to lock up at the wrong moment and his bowstring grazed his face. When the arrow hit the target, it had missed the bullseye by several inches. He rubbed his palm against the stinging blotch on his cheek and shoot a mild glare. “What?”

“Consider it a question to reflect on.” Zenyatta’s arm made a subtle movement and the orb in his hand coasted to the elder Shimada’s direction. 

“I came to redeem myself for what I did. If I did not care for my brother, I would not be here.” Hanzo drew another arrow, feeling irritated by his last shot. He tried to shift away from the approaching orb, trying to ignore its presence as it settled for floating just out of reach. “Everything I’ve worked towards during my stay has been to honor him.”

“Ah, honor.” Zenyatta’s arms moved again and another of the orbs that clung to his vicinity flew forward. “It’s like a seed, is it not? First, we must give it the ideal conditions to grow. The soil can’t be too damp or too dry.”

Hanzo merely inhaled and exhaled in silence. 

Zenyatta didn’t seem bothered by the lack of a response. “Then if we do not water that seed enough, it will die. If it gets too much water, it will still perish.”

“Is there a point to this? You think I drink too much water?” Hanzo did not mean for his sarcasm to sound as antagonistic as it did, but the words left his mouth before he realized it. He tried to distract himself by firing another arrow, but it missed the target on the railing by a decent margin. Hanzo’s shoulders dropped in resignation until the orb rotated into his view as if waiting for his attention.

“No,” Zenyatta finally replied. “You only live for the sake of honoring someone who is quite alive, who can live for their own honor.”

It was a harsh truth that Hanzo could not deny. 

“Genji is very happy you have joined this cause, but he has also been at peace for years, Hanzo. I am certain he wants his brother to find his own happiness.” The omnic monk folded his hands together and they pressed against his lap. All of the orbs Zenyatta had attacked with reappeared around him, like planets revolving around the sun. 

Hanzo did notice, however, that the same orb had left his side did not return to Zenyatta and clung to Hanzo like a shadow. When he reached to the orb, it gently fell into Hanzo’s hands and he hesitantly cradled it, as if it was a fragile piece of glass. The ornate, golden metal gave off a soothing warmth and it was weightless like a feather.

“Genji’s confided in me that he wishes he was going to be joining you but there are other matters he and I will be working on. I am certain there will be a good outcome with the next objective. Nonetheless, consider that a good luck charm and keep it as long as you wish.”

Hanzo rolled the orb back and forth in his hand. He shook his head a few moments later and tore his gaze back to Zenyatta. He didn’t need such a frivolous trinket.

And yet...Zenyatta had already taken advantage of his reluctant acceptance of the orb and made it to the opposite end of the shooting range surprisingly fast for a floating robot.

“What do you know of honor?” Hanzo muttered under his breath and looked down at the orb once more. Unlike the others, the yellow aura had changed and was now a dark purple. He sighed and stored the metal ball in the pouched fastened beside his sake gourd. He didn’t feel like practicing anymore.

Nearly two hours later, Hanzo and several others were gathered in the briefing room: Hanzo himself, Lena, Lúcio, McCree, Hana, and the most recent addition to the team, Soldier 76. One day, the older man appeared on the Watchpoint--none questioned his sudden allegiance aside from silent and thoughtful gazes--and he has been lingering around in the shadows since. Outside of meetings, Hanzo can’t recall the last time he had seen the Soldier socializing with the others but what right did he have to call the kettle black?

Winston cleared his throat, signaling for the chit chat between the younger members to cease. The large gorilla shuffled a few datapads in his arms and gestured to the screen behind him. “As you all know, since the unfortunate happening with Mondatta, there have been several attacks in the following omnic-human protests.”

In his younger years, Hanzo would have laughed if someone gave the foresight that he'd be working with a group of heroes heralded by a giant monkey. And yet, here he was.

“Yeah,” Lúcio replied and nodded his head. “In a few weeks, I got a gig coming up to raise money and awareness for ‘em.”

“Well,” Winston quickly began and looked down to his datapad, “word is spreading that Talon is going to make a move in the upcoming rally. Sources tell me there have been several...ingredients coming into King’s Row on convoys. Alone, they wouldn’t be anything to worry about, but…” his voice trailed off as he stepped back and allowed the display on the screen behind him to turn on. 

“Together these parts and pieces of various metals, wiring, and ammunition will form a bomb if utilized by one experienced combining them,” Athena spoke aloud, voice echoing with a crystalline tone. “Needless to say, Talon’s intentions are very obvious.”

Hana interrupted, brushing brunette strands out of her face, and huffed angrily. “It’s one thing to be biased against tin heads, but humans will be there too! I can't believe they'd hurt innocent people.”

“Talon will use anything and anyone to get its way,” Soldier 76’s gruff voice came from his visor, its red gaze turning to each present member briefly. “It’s been that way for years.”

Hanzo glanced at McCree and noticed he tilted his Stetson back and watched 76 with an unreadable expression. 

“Our mission is to get into the city undercover, find where Talon is hiding the bomb, and shut them down before it can be utilized,” Winston explained as a map of King’s Row displayed. “So, that’s why you’ve all been selected for this. Stealth, speed, and firepower to back us up if need be.”

“And the reason why we have few numbers?” McCree questioned as he leaned back in his chair, legs propping up on the table. "Why not bring Angela or Reinhardt too?"

“Well…” Winston scratched the back of his neck. “Need I remind you all that we’re kind of breaking several international laws? We’re what the government calls an ‘illegal vigilante operation’. We can’t let the public find out that Overwatch is doing risky stuff like this.”

“On one hand, if it all ends well, we’d be heroes,” Lucio chimed in. “But on the other hand, if we mess up--fingers crossed we don’t--we could be blamed with this too.”

“Gotcha,” McCree mused and rubbed his chin pensively. 

“On the bright side,” Winston continued, “this segways into the great news. We’ve been contacted by a few members who will be returning here in the near future. Agent Mei-Ling Zhou, who was part of the eco-Watchpoint in Antarctica has contacted us after years of radio silence. Angela, Reinhardt, and I will be leaving to pick her up. Other agents include Sojourn and Adelaide, though we don’t really have an estimated time of arrival for those two.” 

Hanzo was surprised with how McCree straightened up from his slouched position. “Sojourn, really?! And ya convinced Tinker to come back? Why am I not surprised?”

“Ha ha, Adelaide practically tried to jump through my screen when she answered the call. Sojourn, on the other hand,” the scientist said as he scratched his chin. “She did request that I pass on the message that she’s going to kill you when she gets here.”

McCree’s head fell back and he rubbed his eyes. “Oof. I was hopin’ she forgot about that.”

Lena waggled her eyebrows and leaned forward to Hanzo, Hana, and Lúcio. “Jesse loaded a bunch of paintball pellets in Sojourn’s gun once. Her clothes got soaked in paint.”

“So, as of now, Lena and Soldier 76 will be going in the back alleys. Lúcio and McCree will be in the crowds and do surveillance. That leaves Hanzo and Hana with the high grounds; Hanzo can scale the rooftops and Hana has her MEKA’s flight.”

“Aww yeah! Night mission!” Hana cried out and threw her arms up in excitement. “I can finally test out Carbon Fiber!” When several confused faces turned towards the nineteen-year-old, she rolled her eyes. “Duh! My newest MEKA model. It's got a nifty cloak to camouflage in low light.”

“Ya name yer armor?” McCree asked with a grin.

“Actually, I name them when someone donates on my livestream!” she replied with a wink. “Carbon Fiber is named after the username of someone who sent me a few thousand!” Hana stuck out her tongue. “You can’t lecture me, Mister ‘Peacekeeper’. And the money goes to help rebuild Busan from the Gwishin attacks.”

“Fair enough,” the man chuckled and gave his holstered weapon an affectionate pat.

Hanzo smiled as he watched the interaction between the two and then turned his attention back to Winston. He followed the scientist’s gaze on Lena, after she produced an uncharacteristic sigh. Her smile had died, her head bowed down, and her hands were now resting on her lap. “Do...you all think it’s my fault it’s gotten so bad in King’s Row? I tried so hard to save Mondatta, but I wasn’t fast enough. And now, all this rubbish argy-bargy startin’ on…”

Lúcio and Hana pulled sympathetic frowns, Soldier 76 remained quiet and stoic, Winston adjusted his glasses again.

“Talon was after the omnic like a predator to its prey,” Hanzo murmured softly. “Even if he had escaped that night, Talon would have pursued him relentlessly to send their message. If they tried again at other places, countless people could have been put in danger.”

“Yeah…” Lena didn’t look convinced with the answer, but she made no other argument.

“Lena, at the time you were alone. We’re stronger as a team! We’ll accomplish more now and save as many as we can. I’m certain someone like Mondatta wouldn't want you to blame yourself either.”

“Winston’s right, Lena!” Hana added while reaching out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“If there aren’t any more questions, the debriefing is over. 76 will be the mission leader, so follow his orders, please. The shuttle will be departing within the hour so you have a little time to make sure all you need is packed! Best of luck, team.”

The group nodded in unison before it drifted apart. Hana and Lúcio cleared the room first, discussing some sort of concert, Lena climbed out of her chair and rubbed her arm as she left, and McCree gave Hanzo a nod before he strolled away. The archer paused and glanced over his shoulder to both Soldier 76 and Winston. His stare fell on the Soldier and Hanzo eyed him: the strange blue, white, black jacket, the padded armor and ammo strapped on his legs, the imposing visor on his face--which several old and faded scars peeked out from behind the metal.

“I would like to request all information regarding Talon,” Hanzo stated as soon as the others had left the room, his hand gripping tightly on his Storm Bow.

“Agent Shimada?”

Since joining Overwatch, Talon was still an entity he couldn’t make heads or tails of. Of all the times he’s asked the other members regarding the mysterious Talon, there was no real consensus about what the organization wanted. 

“Overwatch has a history with it, does it not?”

“Erm.” Winston was caught off-guard.

Soldier stood up from his chair. He paced to the window that faced out past the hangar and towards the sea and stared through the glass. “We’ve discussed this. That information isn’t relevant to the mission, Shimada.”

Hanzo’s brow arched high on his forehead. “It is wise to know your enemy before meeting in battle.”

“A lot of the classified information that Overwatch did have at one time slipped through the cracks,” Winston explained with a small shrug. “Especially with how we were forced to disband. Records were erased, expunged. Even my knowledge of Talon isn’t as endowed as much as I’d prefer.” The ape adjusted his glasses as he looked from Hanzo back to the Soldier. 

“And yet, it seems like there is a privilege of knowledge for a select few.” Hanzo stared at the bright red 76 printed on the back of the Soldier’s jacket; he was still turned away. “There might be some bound here by old loyalty or hope for a better future but I am not sated with that alone. I want to know why Overwatch is so invested in stopping Talon.”

“This isn’t the boy scouts, Shimada. Overwatch use to have open door policies with most of the records. A lack of security is what caused the organization to crumble to ruins.”

“I hope you are not implying I am a lack of security,” Hanzo’s tone was dry and impassive. “My time here has been short, but I am not a threat.”

76 made a soft hum in consideration. “The assassin who killed Mondatta was once the wife of an important Overwatch member: Gérard Lacroix. He was a thorn in Talon’s side for years and they tried many times to take him out. But then they upped the tactics and kidnapped Gérard’s wife. Eventually, Overwatch found her after a couple of months and rescued her from Talon, but two months was more than enough for Talon to break her.”

“They play with the mind as well?” Hanzo questioned and watched how Soldier 76 leaned one arm against the panel of glass.

“From what I hear, Amélie seemed normal for the two weeks after her return, but she should have been monitored. She should have been kept in a cell because of the compromise.”

“Two weeks?” Hanzo said as he studied the older man’s posture. 

“One night while they laid together, Amélie’s reprogramming went into effect. She killed Gérard in his sleep. Talon waited two weeks, most likely to get Gérard’s guard down.”

“In his sleep,” Hanzo whispered solemnly. In some sense, he could relate to harming one’s own kin due to manipulation and force. “You seem very familiar with this story.”

“Don’t take the lack of compromise personal. Heed my advice and keep your guard up when it comes to Talon.” 76 ignored the implications of Hanzo’s words, unmoving from the window. “Did that satisfy your curiosity?”

“As could be expected,” he replied softly and slowly turned away from the pair. “Thank you.”

Winston and Soldier began speaking as Hanzo left the room, the door sliding closed behind him ominously. He rubbed his chin in thought, reflecting on the knowledge he had learned. He turned down the corridor and made his way to the stairwell. However, he paused after seeing a very familiar grey form standing in his path.

“Brother!” Genji called out and waved him over. “You will be leaving soon?”

Hanzo approached his younger sibling and nodded, shuffling his bow into its straps. “Yes. We are departing for King’s Row very soon.”

“Ah! I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to be safe,” Genji replied and nodded. “I have news as well. I’m…” his voice drifted off as he paused. “I will tell you when you come back. So, consider it incentive to return as you left!”

“Oh?” Hanzo canted his head to the side and blinked at his brother. “How rude to tease it then. I might be so distracted with solving your news that I can’t focus during the battle. Is that what you want, Genji?” he teased back, testing the waters with his younger brother.

The cyborg waggled his finger back and forth. “Ah, ah! You cannot trick me, brother! You must come back safe and sound if you want to hear the news!” He didn’t give Hanzo a chance to argue and whipped around. “Now, have fun! Bring me back a souvenir!” 

Hanzo watched as his sibling disappeared in a neon green dash and darted down the hallway. He couldn’t help but smile at how the exchange reminded him of earlier. For a moment, Hanzo felt the same warmth of Zenyatta’s orb coming from his pouch but he disregarded it in favor of returning to his room. He needed to be certain he was prepared for the long flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Genji stop it. We're all dying to know!
> 
> Also, Adelaide is my original Overwatch character, we'll learn more about her next chapter. If OCs aren't your thing, I totally understand if you skip out! No hard feelings. :)


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonasera señora, can i-a gettchu a-something ta drink? (Also, how was everyone's week?)

Flying was one of Hanzo's least favorite forms of travel. Turbulence and jet lag bothered him much more than a normal person, though he would never care to admit it. With those side-effects, along with his borderline insomnia, he imagined he wouldn't get proper sleep while they were in King's Row. The purr of the shuttle’s engine grew from a quiet hum to a loud vibration as he approached the vehicle first of all the others. It was one of the base’s smaller shuttles, meant to make a quick and quiet entrance as well as leaving discreetly. 

As he made his way to the launch bay, Hanzo double checked and even triple checked, his person up and down: he wanted to be sure he was properly stocked with his arrows, his bow within proper fighting condition, his sake gourd filled. As much as he wanted to say that he wasn't distracted, he couldn't help but still wonder just what Genji was trying to tell him. 

Hanzo paused and glanced over his shoulder one last time--taking in the beauty of the Watchpoint base. It was the closest thing to a home he had now; he would do everything in his power to ensure the team’s timely return. It had been so long since he had somewhere to consider home. A not-so-foreign sensation, a nearly inexplicable spark of energy, crept along his marked arm as. The dragons were eager for this fight, as this would be the first encounter with Talon despite the numerous missions he had already participated in. Few humans outside of the Shimada clan truly understood the bond between a Shimada heir and their guardian entities. At birth, the Shimada child was chosen and if they met a dragon’s high expectations, its spirit would leave a manifestation of itself on the newborn’s skin. Magical ink that even fewer Shimada could produce was then used to contain the sheer magic imbued on the infant’s skin and they would grow to harness it. Just as he had; just as Genji had as well.

He pondered if Genji was the only other Shimada left that had successfully completed the ritual. During his annual break-ins at the Hanamura residence, it was clear to Hanzo that none of them had even a sliver of a dragon’s strength or magic. At times, Genji did mention whispers and rumors of their younger cousin, Yui, stating she could have been chosen by a Shimada dragon long after their father’s death. But Hanzo never knew this cousin and the Shimada line was still weakened like a bleeding beast. Hanzo saw no need to...interfere further. The shame and guilt of their legacy's spiraling downfall was often hard to think about; how their father praised their lineage during their youth, how Hanzo was encouraged from naive age to be the perfect heir, how Hanzo blindly obeyed every order given to him.

It was uncertain if the Shimada dragons communicated with their hosts beyond small and hard to decipher motions, but Hanzo never surprised when his dragons did make themselves known. They had appeared in his dream the previous night, though not the first time such an event occurred. Was it a sign that Hanzo needed to be cautious or were they just mocking his unfounded anxiety?

After climbing up the railing and stepping inside the shuttle, Hanzo took note of the inside layout. Four pairs of seats were in the cabin: two sets of joined chairs rested on both the left and right side, with a narrow passageway that led to a single unit bathroom separating them. He immediately made his way to the second right row and took the window seat. He dropped his bag in the empty seat beside him and leaned against the window, enjoying the silence. 

Soldier 76 lumbered through the door a few minutes later, nodded to Hanzo, and made his way up into the cockpit. Hana and Lena followed immediately after him--Hana sat down in the row in front of Hanzo and Lena took a window seat across the aisle from them. The archer closed his eyes and rested his head against his window, enjoying the calm. The window glass was cool against his cheek. The exhaustion of his late-night finally caught up to him and he nodded off to the sounds of the shuffling movement of the stragglers taking their seats. The countdown to launching was a distant sound while Hanzo nodded in and out of consciousness.

...Until a shrill laugh from Hana made him crack his eyes open. 

Hanzo wasn’t entirely sure how much time had passed but when he looked up again, Lucio now preoccupied the other seat in Hana’s row and McCree was sitting beside Lena.

“Jesse McCree! No wonder you got fired with that accent!”

“What do you mean?! My Italian accent is perfectio!”

“Purfeecteeo? That is not even Italian, man,” Lucio whooped out between his own laughs.

“Y’all are rotten.” From his seat, Hanzo watched as McCree shook his head. Soon, McCree then must have noticed his stares and gestured to the still-empty seat by Hanzo. Hanzo hesitantly returned a nod of his own and cleared the seat out. “I’m going to talk more mature company, ya darn brats.”

“You know you love us!” Hana and Lucio were still cackling at his expense when McCree casually plopped down in the seat. 

“Kids, right?” McCree looked to Hanzo for support.

“Who are you calling a child?” Hana’s voice snapped, but it lacked any real anger or venom.

“Aw, go talk to your interweb pals, Hana,” McCree mocked her in return though his tone was just as good-humored.

“Oh, that reminds me! I need to do another stream when we land. Lúcio, collab with me?”

“Absolutely! I should get my newest track ready to tease them with.”

“Ooh, jjangi-da! Can I get a sneak peek listen?”

McCree looked at Hanzo as the younger pair ahead of them became grossly absorbed in Lúcio’s music. “Looked like Mister Sandman gave you some winks of shut eye, so I didn’t want to wake ya up. Hope it’s ok if I keep this seat warm?”

“Perhaps it was not so wise to have stayed out so late,” Hanzo countered him. “I failed to compliment you earlier now that I think about it. Can you play other songs?”

“Aww, shucks. I ain’t talented like our frog boy here is with all his techno songs! It’s just a hobby I’ve picked up for a couple of years now. I listen to a song and learn it by ear. That is...uhh...unless ya got a request?” 

Hanzo merely chuckled. “Perhaps you can surprise me.”

“I can certainly dive into my repertoire,” McCree said, adding a natural and twangy emphasis on the last few words. “What about you, Hanzo? Ya got any other tricks up those sleeves? Err--sleeve?”

Hanzo considered the question for a moment. “I suppose being trained from a young age to be an assassin doesn't count?”

McCree blinked several times, as his mouth opened and closed. It wasn’t until Hanzo’s stoic face surrendered to a smirk that McCree guffawed and his shoulders seemed to sag with relief. “Nice to hear you got a funny bone, Shimada. Can see where Genji gets his side from.”

“Yes. I’m a real stand-up comedian.”

“Assassin by day, comedian by night. It grows on ya.”

Hanzo nearly giggled at absurd mental image. It certainly didn’t help that the other man was pushing for a reaction from him.

“What if I told you my origami skills are unparalleled?”

“Oh really? That’s the paper foldin’, right?”

“Indeed. Perhaps I can show you my creations when we return.” 

“I’d like that. Was never good at that sorta thing. I can make some snowflakes but they end up lookin’ like lopsided circles.” McCree shifted his left arm out from the shelter of his serape and stretched it along his lap. “A little hard to be precise with this hunk of metal.”

Hanzo was fixated on the prosthetic and he made an understanding noise. “I can understand the sentiment.” He guided McCree’s stare to his legs and rapped his knuckle against the hollow metal.

The vivid images of Hanzo waking up without his legs after his tragic fight with Genji was a memory he’d never forget. The sheer pain and agony were enough to keep him in shock for days.

“Right…” McCree scratched at the nape of his neck. “No use in dredging the past, ya know?” 

Before Hanzo could reply, the overhead speaker hissed and Solider 76’s voice echoed from the cockpit. “Be ready for landing! E.T.A. 15 minutes and counting. We’ll be offloading beyond city limits at one of the abandoned Overwatch bunkers and wait until nightfall for surveillance.”

“Ah, he’s gotta be referring t’the old subway system!” Lena pipped up. “Reminds me of my first mission with Angela, Reinhardt and Torbjörn! What a bloody rush that day was.”

“They’re connected all over the city, right? I remember Commander Reyes informin’ us in case we ever had to use them for Blackwatch business.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s right.”

“Hey, Lena. What are the other agents like? The ones Winston mentioned?” Hana spoke up. 

“Yeah, you all gotta give us Overwatch newbies the backstories!” Lúcio winked.

“Alright, alright, luv. How about the abridged version since we’re landing soon? Mei was never a soldier, but she monitored weather patterns with other scientists. She’s amazing at weather manipulation from what I remember! I was worried when her team stopped communicating with us, but she’ll be a great help. They all will honestly!”

“Just make sure not to get on Sojourn’s bad side, right Jesse?” Hana suggested with a snicker and swiveled in her seat to stare at McCree.

“That’s a positive, lil lady. She’s a brilliant tactician and often helped both Strike-Commanders. Hell of an aim too.”

“And what could have possibly prompted you to fill this woman’s gun with paint?” Hanzo inquired, finding hard to imagine McCree sabotaging a weapon even in the name of fun.

“Heh. Reyes bribed me with a week of shore leave if I could do it.” McCree's chuckle was deep and mellow. The rest of the group followed with their own laughter. "A week of shore leave at the cost of gettin' my hide covered in bullets when she sees me again." 

“I’m sure Sojie ain’t that mad, McCree. She always liked playing a rough and tough lady.”

“Well, if ya’ll find my corpse after she gets to the base, that’ll be why.”

“Noted!”

“And the other one?” Hana asked. Her chin was propped on her chair’s cushion as she looked at McCree. “Tinker, you said?”

“That’s right. Her name is Adelaide, Tinker’s just her agent name. She might have been around yer age, Hana, when she joined Overwatch. Give a year or two. She was really smart with machinery stuff, always ‘Tinker’ing away. Then she started messin’ with that…” McCree paused and looked to Lena. “What was the term, ya remember?”

“You mean the molecular studies?”

“Yeah,” McCree retrieved one of his cigars and placed it in the corner of his mouth, though he did not light it. Perhaps a force of habit? “She had a theory that we could try compacting weapons to miniature size to make it easier to transport a whole lot of them at once. It woulda certainly helped out the soldiers. No one really knows what happened exactly when she started those test runs. Maybe a bad equation or even a freak accident? All we know is that there was an explosion and poor kid is now the size of doll.”

“She’s never been able to fix what happened, but Addie has adjusted to it well! She even built herself a mech to keep working with Overwatch. Now that I think of it, it’s a pretty similar concept to your MEKA, Hana! Just more human-sized and not quite packed with ammo.”

“Neato! Can’t wait to meet her.”

“She’s a really friendly person, but she gets so knackered with her work. I’m not sure if she’s gotten better or not, but she was quite a workaholic.”

“That’s the truth. She did enough work for at least three regular-sized people, I’d reckon. Just lay off on the height jokes, I’m sure I don’t have to explain it to y'all she got teased senseless.”

“Well, duh. We save all the teasing for you, McCree!” 

“Don’t sass me!”

Hanzo rolled his eyes at how McCree pouted and slumped back in his chair. Hana and Lúcio returned their conversation to their streaming set up.

"I never realized how many fields Overwatch's agents occupied," Hanzo murmured. There was more to the inner machinations of the organization than he realized.

"Makes sense, if ya think about it," McCree replied, adjusting his serape. He pulled out the familiar tin of jerky and wolfed down long and tender bits of the dried meat. "Overwatch had to be diverse in that regard. If it was better prepared for any kinda threat, then it could protect more people."

"If every branch of a tree grew in a singular direction, after all..." Hanzo snorted, though the omnic's statement seemed a lot of fitting then it needed to. His eyes darted back and forth as he rubbed along his chin. "The tree would not flourish."

"That right?" McCree was half-distracted with chewing on another piece of jerky. 

"I suppose," he said and looked to the distant horizon their shuttle approached.

"First time flyin'?" McCree was now looking at their shared window too.

"No. It is just not to my liking." Being so high up in the air left you vulnerable and exposed should the ship malfunction or an attack occur. Hanzo wasn't one to expect divine intervention from his dragons if he were to plummet to the ground either.

"Well, can't be worse 'en me. I was sicker than a dog the first time I flew. I remember Reyes teasin' me and callin' me a kid as soon as we got off our shuttle... Then I puked right at his feet!" McCree's face cringed at the recollection. "I was on cleanin' duty for a month after that."

"It seems like you handle it much better now," Hanzo stated in an observation, though he still laughed. "This Reyes seems like an interesting character from what you have told me."

"Yeah, he was. If from all the ways he messed with Genji was anythin' to go by, he'd like ya too."

That's right. Genji had been a part of the Blackwatch. "I would like to hear some of those stories."

"Can do. Anytime ya wanna hear about all the trouble we got into, just give me a holler, partner."

The overhead lights flashed above them, signaling their upcoming landing. A tremor vibrated across the shuttle and Hanzo's fingers dug into his seat armrests. He distracted himself by shifting his gaze back to the window, feeling his lips purse as he tried to keep his discomfort subdued. It was fascinating watching the specks of buildings land below grow larger and larger as gravity welcomed them back to solid earth though. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note, Yui is another OC I debated on making almost a couple years ago, but worry not, she won't be appearing. Unless you all are curious about her?? Idk.
> 
> (also incoming American werewolf in London jokes, gooo!)


	6. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hopefully, everyone had a better week than me! My poor brother got in a car wreck last Monday and his car is demolished. We've been distracted with trying to get my car suited for driving again, it has a slight leak with the brake line and the tags needed renewal. Fun fun fun fun.
> 
> Again, like last chapter warned, OC heads up.

An hour and a duffle of civilian disguises later resulted in the group dressed in a variety of outfits after they arrived in the bunker Soldier 76 mentioned during their landing. Hanzo was now dressed in dark black hoodie, with a plain tank top underneath. The worn color jeans given to him flared at the legs to accommodate his prosthetics. To tie the look together, Hanzo also wore a gray flat cap. It made him think of Genji during their younger years; he could certainly see the younger Shimada wearing something so casual during his rebellious youth. 

“Looking swanky! I love it!” Lena sat propped on an untouched crate, remaining in place while the others had emerged from their makeshift dressing rooms. The rooms must have been abandoned bathrooms from before Overwatch reformatted it for traveling incognito.

Judging from the map displayed on their shuttle's datapads, the subway system had been altered severely. It was still that of a large oval layout, but the tracks had been removed. The entire middle section of the subway, once untouched, had been reworked into a maze-like layout of multiple rooms. Soldier 76 had ordered them to remain in this section while he scouted ahead. Apparently, he wanted to ensure that there would be no complications or a compromise to their route. For the leader of this mission, it was certainly peculiar how fine he was with leaving them to their own devices. While they waited, the group decided to put the time to use with changing.

“How do ya like me now?”

Hanzo almost snorted when he looked over in McCree’s direction. The man was wearing a tan overcoat with a tail that came just above his knees and a dark brown vest underneath adorned with golden buttons. His hair was kept back and secure under a deerstalker hat. Black shoes covered in aesthetics straps and sleek, burgundy dress pants finished off McCree’s...look. His weapon’s holster was nestled against his right thigh, hidden just out of view by the coat’s train. 

“I prefer the cowboy get up,” Hanzo murmured, though he couldn’t argue that McCree didn’t look decent.

“Aww c’mon. I gotta work the locals.”

“Wow, Jesse...just wow.”

“Are you cosplaying as Sherlock Holmes or something?”

“Actually, this has got to be the, uh, English version of a cowboy. Could be why Athena _randomly_ generated it for McCree.”

“Hush it.”

Lúcio was in a formal dress of a white pressed shirt and a buttoned vest with subtle ivory print; though he made an effort to roll his long sleeves up to his shoulders. Black shades eclipsed his eyes, and brown dress shoes and gray chinos with the same ivory print as his vest tied the fashion together. He was lacking his usual skating equipment, though his right ear piece was still fastened on. Apparently, there was some kind of movie premiere he was going to make an appearance for during their time in King's Row.

Hana, on the other hand, was wearing one of her piloting bodysuits while she had a bright yellow headset on and her brunette hair pulled in a tight ponytail. It had the same pattern as the blue and white one Hanzo was familiar though this particular design had hints of red splashed on the suit’s shoulders and sides while its legs and arms a deep black. The pink bunny icon was embellished on the suit’s chest, just as her other.

Lena was the only one who didn’t change, understandably. The chronal accelerator equipment she wore seemed like it needed to be kept close at all times. Hanzo didn’t understand the science behind it, but even he could tell it was vital for her existence. 

Minutes passed without any alert from Soldier 76, so their group had broken into small talk, though he only heard bits and pieces of the conversation. Hanzo decided to put the free time to use with checking his stock. His quiver was still of arrows, his bow in pristine condition, his prosthetics still responded to his movements, though he couldn't help but check again. Anxiety and paranoia often guilted him when he wasn't being productive; years of being on his own left him in a constant state of keeping on guard in what could be described as being hyper-aware by many. 

"Don't take no offense, Hanzo, but yer equipment ain't gonna break from lookin' away for five minutes." McCree had moved closer to his side, breaking away from the others. A cigar was hanging on the corner of his, a glowing ember at its tip.

Hanzo rolled his eyes, but still smiled with a reserved expression. "Then I get to laugh at you when that exact thing happens to your belongings," he said and plucked his bowstring with his thumb.

"Now, that's not very nice to hope," McCree pressed his hands against his chest with a faux dramatic gasp.

"Then don't be careless, cowboy," Hanzo suggested, eyeing McCree at his left. He paused when an unexpected wave of warmth came from his hoodie's front pocket and he retrieved the orb from the monk. It was glowing yellow again. Thoughts of Genji came to him again as he studied the orb, thoughts of how happy Genji looked--just as Zenyatta told him. His brother had never been so expressive or happy during his time in the Shimada clan. But could he blame his brother for that? They had both witnessed their mother's death at a young age; their father's passing of poor health in their later teen years. 

The yellow pulsing faded away and it was replaced with the purple cloud once more. He still wasn't sure why Zenyatta had trusted him with it. 

“Oh wow! I never thought I’d see Honky-Tonk without his favorite hat!” 

Hanzo reacted on instinct when the unfamiliar voice spoke, shoving the omnic's gift back into the hoodie pouch. His bow was drawn in a flash and he took aim at the source of the sound. Crackles of energy flared from his arm and he was ready for a fight. There was a robot, possibly an omnic, approaching them. Hanzo and McCree were the closest of the group to it.

Its upper half was bulky and protected by muscular layers of metal, though its legs were unusually lithe and had thrusters on the bottom of the heels. Like most other omnics, there was no recognizable facial features, merely a protruding singular optic glowing neon blue on its face--though he did notice it had two flat antennae attached to its head and it reminded him of a rabbit of all things. When it saw Hanzo, the robot froze in its tracks and crouched down, waving three digit hands in compliance. “Whoa, I’m not looking for a fight!”

Hanzo felt a hand on his shoulder and found McCree standing behind him. “Hold on, Darlin’. Looks like a friendly.”

“It has not been that long, Jesse.” The same voice came from the robot. It had a strange echo, as if coming from a radio or speaker--similar to that of a comm. line. “I might be small but surely not forgettable.”

“It can't be!” Lena hopped down from her crate, a finger shooting at the mech's direction. “Addie?!”

Steam hissed out of the mech when it stood up and looked around to take in their group. “Hi, Lena.” The antenna on the robot’s head flicked up quizzically when it’s gaze shifted to Hanzo, Hana and then to Lúcio. “And new members?”

“Addie! Oh my gosh! How have you been?” Lena was at the mech’s side in an instant and wrapped her arms around it in a tight hug. “Your mech suit is so different now too!” 

“Yeah, I modified it with more armor. Added coolants, improved the control feedback. Basic stuff really. This makes my old suit look like a mannequin.”

“We’ll have t’trade stories over some tea, luv! We thought you’d be arriving to the Watchpoint in Gibraltar!”

“You got me there! I asked Winston to keep it a surprise. Where do you think he got the source about all the materials coming in from? I couldn’t do anything without help!”

“I know whatcha mean. Everyone, this is Adelaide.” Lena nudged the mech closer with encouragement, placing her hands on its shoulders. 

“Hi, everyone. I’m Adelaide Watts, but I also went by Tinker when the team was active. Feel free to call me either. It’s so great to see Overwatch back in business!” she explained while offering an outstretched hand. 

Ah. This was the member that McCree and Lena had been referring to on the ship. The more Hanzo listened, he realized there was a subtle creole accent to her voice. Compared to the others, the mech was only shorter than both McCree and Soldier 76; counting the antennae, it also stood taller than Hanzo as well.

“Fala tu! How’s it hanging?” Lúcio was the first to greet her. “Name’s Lúcio! Just call me the audio medic.”

Hana was next and eagerly shook the mech’s hand. “I’m Hana. Did you really build this whole suit by yourself? Do the panels shift? It looks likes the gears can redistribute the weight around?”

“Haha. I’m surprised you can tell that just by looking. You sound like you know your mechs, Hana.”

“Jesse McCree, wanted outlaw, I fancy long romantic walks on the beach.” McCree’s hands dug against his belt buckle and he winked. 

“Oh gee, thanks for the introduction,” Adelaide’s voice oozed with sarcasm while she elbowed McCree’s shoulder. “Knucklehead.”

When the mech suit then looked past McCree to Hanzo, he bowed his head in acknowledgment. “I am Hanzo.” 

The mech stared at him, taking in his appearance. “Neat bow! How does it work?”

“How does a bow work?” Hanzo repeated, uncertain of what she was asking. 

“Ah, what I mean is if you have any special modifications to it.”

“Now, Adelaide, not everythin’ needs a fancy doohickey.”

"Says the guy with a metal arm now? What happened?" 

"Ahh...That's a long story. I'm sure we'll have time to catch up later on."

Hanzo shot a curious stare to McCree, also intrigued by the mystery of his arm, though he refrained from pressing further. It certainly wasn't the right time or place to ask, but Hanzo knew that McCree might not want to talk about it at all. 

“ _This is Soldier 76! Come in!_ ” The voice came through brief pauses as if interference interrupted its strength.

“What’s goin’ on?” McCree replied to the group’s comm. link. 

“ _Hostiles inbound. There was an ambush waiting and I’m engaging them currently. Get here now!_ ”

Hana was immediately scrambling into her MEKA suit, which had been left stationary after driving it from shuttle. Unlike the other mech’s bubblegum pink paint, it was instead colored black with yellow trimming.

“We’re on the way!” Lena assured him through her end.

“An ambush? How’s that possible?” Lúcio asked while he gathered his Sonic Amplifier, as he called it. 

“Ya learn to expect the unexpected, kid.” McCree lifted his gun, flicked the chamber of his revolver open and checked its ammo.

“Who was that?” Adelaide asked while her suit placed a hand against hits hips. “And what ambush? I don’t have access to your channel lines, so I have no idea what’s going on.” 

“We’ll brief you on the way, Addie! You up for a dogfight?”

“Wow. I wasn’t expecting a fight this soon, but consider me in!” 

“Saddle up.” McCree stuffed his gun back into his holster. “I’m itchin’ to see who’s attackin’.”

“Wanjeon joha! I’ll stick in the back to cover our butts. Tracer, lead the way since you know the system down here.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

76 wasn’t exaggerating. When they arrived, his cover behind a fallen piece of a concrete support beam was riddled with bullets. Hanzo could make out at least a dozen armed men all clad in black with red visors piercing through the darkness, though it’d be possible for others to be lying in wait. They were nearly on the Solider’s hiding place from all angles, though his gun was propped over his cover to return fire. 

“D.Va, Lúcio--with me, luvs! We’ll flank ‘round the back.”

Hanzo and McCree provided cover fire while the group broke into two. The others disappeared into a side tunnel that Lena had explained was a shortcut. 

“I’ll play distraction at the front!” Adelaide’s mech glanced over the shoulder to McCree and Hanzo. “Keep shooting! Brawler mode engaging.”

They both watched as the mech slammed its fists together and it...changed. The armor padding the top half of the robotic body transitioned to the arms and hands. In a flash, the suit leaped into the frontline with the help of its boosters and landed a blow on the nearest shooter; the force of its punch sending the person away several feet.

“Ya heard the lady!” McCree flicked his guy with ease, taking out two men further on the left.

Hanzo released a sonic arrow. It was designed to show heat signatures using a type of sonar technology. “So, walking on a beach is romantic? And here I thought you'd prefer sitting by a fire in the woods,” he said as he drew another arrow and struck directly into one of the attacker’s guns. He smirked when he heard a shocked yowl and the gun exploded.

“Look, I’m a simple fella. I don’t get out much these days, so I take what I can.” With impeccable aim, McCree landed several more shots and the bodies dropped like flies.

“How sad.” Hanzo spotted at least four more humans from his sonic’s arrow. 

“Alright, Mister Shimada, what would ya consider an ideal date?” After Hanzo shook his head and sent a cocked brow in McCree’s direction, the gunslinger held one hand up. “It’s an innocent question, I swear on my serape.”

“I am not going to answer such a pointless question,” Hanzo snapped. “It is useless to think on a hypothetical situation.”

“Hypothetical?” McCree chuckled. “Ya never know, could always happen. Tinker, on your right!” 

One of the masked soldiers had ran at the mech’s side, wielding a baton pulsing with crackling energy; Adelaide was too distracted throwing punches to notice their approach. A spiral of tiny rockets caught the attacker’s side before he could land a strike. Soldier 76 had taken advantage of their assistance and broke from his cover--he was now sprinting in their direction. The few remaining stragglers abandoned their post and retreated further down the tunnel.

“Forgive me fer statin’ the obvious,” McCree said and took a puff of his cigar, “but this screams more than just an ambush. Why are Talon goons hangin’ out in old Overwatch turf?” 

Neither Hanzo or Soldier 76 replied, but it was definitely a question worth pondering. Now that Hanzo took a moment to further examine his surroundings, it wasn't as...abadoned as described.

“ _Tracer to team! So, we’re going to be in a bit of a pickle.”_

Soldier 76 made a very audible growl before he answered the comm. “What do you mean?”

“ _Let’s just say that the reports of the bomb might be very accurate. It’s further along then we might have expected. The old detour branched off to an area where dozens of Talon soldiers are guarding it. The bomb’s huge as a bus!”_

“Ah, that explains that.” McCree rubbed his nose. “Hey, Addie, disassemble any bombs lately? I’m not one who likes the idea of bein’ blown up.”

“Wait, the bomb’s here?!” Adelaide’s sputtered from her speaker. “I...I think I could try. I’ll need to get close enough to examine its structure before anything though.”

“Then we’ll ensure you can,” Hanzo promised and docked another arrow on his bow. 

“Tracer, begin contact with the guards. We’re taking that bomb out!” 76’s gaze fell to McCree and Hanzo. “If it explodes, there will be casualties. We have one shot at this.”

“So all we gotta do is stop who knows how many highly armed Talon men and defuse a bomb? No pressure.” Despite his claims, there was a scant of bravery to McCree’s words.

Hanzo could only nod in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, Tracer CAN remove the chronal accelerator, but she just needs to have it really close at all times. In my defense, I don't think the comic was out when I had written that part in?


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, I think this is where the fic is starting to pick up. I know people are probably bored without alot of action happening, but here you go! Warning for blood if you're grossed out by it!

It was easier said than done to clear a path and get to the bomb. The route that Soldier 76 had led them down to rejoin the others was swarmed with Talon soldiers; guns drawn and waiting. With four people, it was a crowded path, with little room to return fire. The long tunnel was barely lit by lights flickering to stay powered, graffiti insulting omnics was a reoccurring site as well. Bullets whizzed by them like mechanical bees, whirring overhead and at their shoulders and even at their feet.

“Gotta say, this a better improvement to the old Overwatch initiation missions, haha. I still have nightmares from the stress.”

“Sure about that, Tinker? I pegged ya as the test takin’ type.” 

“I prefer learning by experience, Jesse.”

“And what were these Overwatch’s initiation missions like?” Hanzo asked, looking ahead at McCree.

“Oh geeze. That takes me back. I think it depended on which branch you were applying for? I personally had to take a twenty page test and I hated every minute of it. The combat fields were given more practical options such as checking accuracy, how well you could fight hand to hand. Etcetera, etcetera.”

“As much as this reminiscing means to you both, we have a mission to focus on,” Soldier 76’s curt tone snapped at the front of their line. 

“R-right. Right...Sorry.” The mech’s suit antenna bowed down, almost as if Adelaide flinched.

“It’s fine,” McCree interjected with an offended huff. “Small talk ain’t gonna harm no one.”

“Keep talking and you’ll get distracted. Then it _will_ do harm.” Soldier 76’s assault rifle nearly drowned his response out as he fired ahead. 

Hanzo noticed how Jesse kept his gaze fixated on Soldier 76 after a low growl came from the gunslinger; how his mouth pulled into a thin and unimpressed line. He took a drawn-out drag on his cigar while a trail of smoke followed behind him and he nudged the tip of his hat above his eyes. This was far from the first time that he witnessed such pleasantries between McCree and the Soldier. However, any grievances were left unaired as they rushed on.

It wasn’t long after that Hanzo heard some commotion approaching from behind as well. “We have more company. From the rear!”

“Well, we’ve really stirred up the beehive this time!” Jesse cursed and came to a halt; Hanzo nearly bumped into him. “I’ll keep them occupied. If they box us in from both directions, we’re finished.”

Hanzo merely scoffed and followed suit, raising his drawn bow. “Not alone. We can’t have you making a foolish sacrifice.”

Before the Shimada brother could uphold his promise however, there was an ear-bursting explosion and the world around him flashed a blinding white. He stumbled into McCree’s form; the other man turned on his heels and wrapped his arms over Hanzo while screaming _something_ to him. Hanzo could only lean against McCree and cling to him as his ears kept ringing. 

The source seemed to be some sort of planted flash bomb that activated upon detecting movement. Perhaps it was timed since it hadn’t reacted the instant Soldier 76 or even the mech suit passed by.

Everything was a blur--his eyes were watery and he tried to squint to see what was going on. McCree was still speaking to him as if waiting for a response, but Hanzo could only muster the strength to shake his head in confusion. McCree said something else, and then he slipped his arm metal arm against Hanzo’s legs and heaved him into a bridal position. If Hanzo’s head wasn’t still pounding and his body stunned, he would have felt insulted and ordered McCree to place him down. But for the time being, the familiar smell of McCree’s cigar and those whiskey-colored eyes kept him anchored to consciousness.

They were moving, Hanzo realized when his surroundings stopped whirling so violently. He clutched Storm Bow to his chest, it was the only possession he couldn’t afford to lose. Somehow, McCree had also avoided the Talon soldiers in their pursuit. He might have taken a branched off path, but Hanzo wasn't entirely sure. 

He was also unsure of how long McCree had carried him. It could have been seconds or minutes; time was hard to keep track of for the moment. But when Hanzo was finally seated back on solid ground, his breathing was still heavy. Things looked more corporeal, though there was a strange after-image fooling his vision. There were two McCrees before him, though they eventually fused back into one singular body. “Chikushō!” he snarled, though his voice was hoarse. He rubbed against his eyes with balled fists. “Chikushō-me!”

“Ya can say that again,” McCree muttered under his breath. “Sorry for the, heh, abrupt departure, Hanzo.”

“The others…?” his voice trailed off when he realized that McCree was crouching in front of him. They were pressed together in some sort of trench cut into a few feet of the subway’s wall. It offered some moderate protection, but there was only one entrance into the concrete haven. 

“Talon must have finally caught on that our lil party is here. The comm. line’s completely dead now, could be a signal dampener. The old man and Addie were going in the opposite direction when I last saw ‘em.” McCree was breathing just as heavily and his warm breath ghosted on Hanzo’s skin.

“You did not have to perform such a foolish act. You separated yourself from the others. I would have recovered,” Hanzo said quietly, eyes darting back and forth from McCree and the darkness. He tried not to stare at McCree so long, but other than the jagged walls of their hiding place, there was not much to look at. It certainly did not help that McCree did not make the same courtesy and was studying him with a quizzical look.

“Right, right. And by then, Talon would have found ya, Hanzo.”

Valid point. “You are familiar with this enemy. How do you suggest we proceed?” he asked while running his hand against the sleeve covering his dragon tattoo. There was a surge of energy again. Perhaps the dragons were angry at how easily Hanzo had been caught by the underhanded tactic or perhaps they had sensed his panic.

“Normally we’d have an established rendezvous point to fall back to but now...damn it!” McCree slammed his prosthetic arm against the wall.

Hanzo cocked an eyebrow at the sudden aggression, but he could hardly fault McCree. “We must adapt then, it seems.” 

“We’re gonna need to rely on old fashion methods. Which would include sneakin’ around until we have some good luck."

"Hm. It sounds like you are all too familiar with that option."

"It's kept me alive for years."

"I suppose it would be moot to suggest we try to retrace our steps. Even if we were to locate the area where we were separated, Soldier 76 and your friend have gone further on without us. We would have no way to track their movement. There is also the matter of ammunition. I believe we were misinformed regarding the numbers we could encounter, I am prepared to fight hand to hand if needed but it is something to keep in mind." As Hanzo spoke, he wasn't too prideful to admit that he should have brought more arrows. The effort it took to get his arrows just often caused headaches; the rings and hoops he had to go through to contact his dealers. The false names needed and funds he had to dip into the buy the specialized projectiles were several factors.

"Yeah...Yeah." McCree rubbed his chin. "Damn it. Caution to the wind, at this point. I have an idea!"

Hanzo blinked after realizing McCree had already thrown off his vest and coat and was now working on unbuttoning his shirt, eyeing the entrance of their makeshift cover. Through the opening on McCree’s shirt, Hanzo saw several long and faded scars decorated his chest and torso.

“Hardly the time for one of your jokes!” Hanzo snapped, feeling his cheeks heat up at the implication. He shoved McCree with his foot and scooted a few inches back. Their overnight mingling crept in the back of Hanzo’s mind again. Damn him!

“Wait. What? Oh, no!” McCree buried his face in his hand for a moment as he laughed. “I promise I have more decency than that.”

And yet, he kept undressing and was fiddling with his belt buckle. 

“What are you doing then?!” Hanzo hissed between his teeth. 

“It’ll all make sense in a few minutes. Just...promise ya won’t freak out.” McCree whispered more colorful language as he yanked his belt from his pants and chucked it into Hanzo’s lap. “If only the circumstances were different.”

“Freak out at what?” Hanzo averted his eyes now that McCree was fully nude and had even dislocated his prosthetic arm from his body; not even his shoes were on at this point. The scars were not just on McCree’s chest, he realized next. Some were on his shoulders, a few here and there along his waist and even covering his thighs. “Put your clothes back on; there is no time for this foolishness!”

“Just. Promise. Trust me. It’ll still be me.”

McCree must have hit his head, Hanzo decided and now he was going to have to handle McCree’s odd ramblings and behavior. Before he could say anything or react further, McCree had shoved his rolled-up clothing into Hanzo’s hands, with now held both his gun and prosthetic arm wrapped up inside. 

“I hate this part,” McCree groaned. His body was already dripping in sweat and his hands were shaking. 

Hanzo felt helpless, confused, anxious. He reached out a hand towards McCree, but the other man pulled away from reach and backed out from their hiding place. “Wait!” he called out and tried to crawl after him, not wanting to see him get discovered and shot down by Talon agents.

He did not expect the sight of McCree’s body muscles convulsing and the mixture of fascination and fear kept Hanzo from tearing his gaze away. McCree was sitting on his knees, eyes closed and head pointed up. His body twitched. Hanzo heard a distinct _pop_ and watched as his spine raised against his skin. Sinew twisted and distorted as McCree’s hands stretched out into unnatural lengths and his fingernails’ length doubled; his feet were elongated into angular joints. Several cracks came from McCree’s center as his rib cage expanded out nearly twice its size. His face screwed into a distortion of pain and his mouth extended into a longer snout, while his teeth grew into fangs--all sharp canines looked they would pierce skin like it was paper. Tufts of dark hair growing all across his body soon obscured the man’s nudity, while McCree settled for lying prone on the ground. 

It was agony to simply listen to; how painful was it to experience the transformation itself? McCree made many inhuman gasps of air followed with an interval of deep growls. The violent spasms that had overtaken the man spread all over his form. When McCree dared to open his eyes, he shot Hanzo saw two yellow orbs with slit black pupils watching him with an intense concentration, in lieu of the tamed brown eyes he was used to. 

Minutes passed by after the form stopped trembling and the adjustments seemed to have finished. But he wouldn’t move. Pained panting filled the air, aside from the echoes of dripping water.

“McCree,” Hanzo whispered, his voice quivering. He dared not move as he eyed the beast who now occupied McCree’s place. And then...he remembered. The dream he had from the previous night. The energy on his inked arm flared once more. “You.”

The moment seemed to freeze in time; how Hanzo stared at the wolf-like creature and how it stared back. It was shared the same structure--covered in thick fur, pointed ears, and a bushy tail--similar to the one from his dream, and it was also much larger than a typical dog. Hanzo did notice as well that this creature was missing the same leg that would be Jesse’s left arm. However, lacking a front limb did not stop the beast...McCree...from rising back up on his giant paws. It did surprise Hanzo though that he could stand bipedal on muscular back legs as its muzzle tested the air with deep inhales. 

Hanzo’s mouth closed and opened multiple times as he struggled for words. His heart was beating so loudly, so violently, it felt like it would burst from his chest. He swallowed back a gulp and finally spoke, “McCree...Jesse?” 

Ears pricked forward and McCree took a single step forward, crouching back onto three legs. Hanzo watched while sweat formed along his temple. That mouth full of teeth, teeth that could sink into his skin, came within mere inches of contact. Hanzo was too paralyzed to react. McCree locked eyes with Hanzo, and perhaps sensing his anxiety, his snout pressed against Hanzo’s arms and then to the bundle of clothes he still held flush against his chest. He did not retreat after that and kept staring at Hanzo.

He certainly wasn't acting like a bloodthirsty, mindless monster. 

“Can you speak? Do you understand me?” Hanzo questioned and he tensed up as McCree brought his mouth towards Hanzo’s face. However, he did not expect a slobber drenched lick to his cheek. “Fine. You made your point. I will have many questions when you change back.”

Suddenly, all the pieces seemed to add up. Why McCree enjoyed his solitude in the forest, his dietary choices, and even the reactions from the macaques. A part of Hanzo wondered how long McCree could change like this? Was...he born with this ability? As he mused over the revelation of what he just witnessed, he lifted one hand up and rested it against McCree’s shoulder, surprised how warm the dirt blonde fur was to the touch. McCree seemed to enjoy the contact and leaned into Hanzo’s palm, tail swaying happily. Was McCree some sort of ōkami shifter?

“Does anyone else know about this?” Hanzo asked, despite knowing he wouldn’t get a response. 

McCree made a whine and flashed him literal puppy dog eyes. His tail had stopped wagging and his ears were pressed back against his head.

“I...suppose that is your way of asking me not to? I have no reason to. It is not my place,” Hanzo’s voice drawled with a skeptical tone. McCree licked his face again and he feebly pushed the wolf’s broad chest away. “Must you do that?”

Before Hanzo could gather his thoughts, there was the sound of distant footsteps. McCree looked around and snarled, lips pulling back to reveal his dangerous fangs. Hanzo watched as he took several whiffs before McCree stared down to him, as if a signal to be ready. 

“I understand.” Hanzo crammed McCree’s belongings down into his quiver as he sized up the remaining arrows he had left. He hesitated and then retrieved McCree’s weapon to study it. Hanzo was rusty with using firearms, but he was certain he had better aim than most other people. McCree simply pressed his snout against Hanzo’s hand and blinked slowly, perhaps as a sign of permission? “Only if I need it,” he promised and stuffed it into his hoodie’s front pouch, which until this point had been occupied solely by the orb Zenyatta gave him.

While Hanzo never had the chance to see a real wolf in action, McCree was certainly a good substitute to witness. Watching the giant beast take down three men at once was eye-opening. There were still so many questions occupying his thoughts; the whole scenario felt like a dream and the images of the transformation looped. Spots of blood immediately splattered against McCree’s face, but it only encouraged more animalistic responses. A monster of a snarl along with a pained yell as teeth sank into a leg drew Hanzo back to reality. 

He produced an agitated huff while docking another arrow and firing, hoping that the influx of Talon soldiers would let up.

Finally, the last standing enemy was taken down by Hanzo’s arrow and for the moment, it was just him and McCree alone again. McCree barked, though it was gravely and deep, as he stood over the unmoving Talon soldiers and sniffed around. 

“Come here,” Hanzo beckoned, when he spotted the man-turned-wolf, trying and failing to wipe his face clean. Gravity was not kind when he lifted his left paw up and he fell down with a rough thump. Hanzo grabbed his right sleeve and without a second thought, tore at the fabric covering his forearm. The material was cheap enough and didn’t give much of a fight. “It won’t do if we happen to run into the others and their first impression is with you covered head to toe in the blood of our enemies.”

Tentatively, he approached, McCree and waited for him to get up. McCree moved in favor of a sitting position and watched Hanzo, his tail beating against the ground casually. He kneeled down, eyes scrutinizing the crimson color around McCree’s snout and jaw, and dabbed his torn sleeve along the wolf’s cheek. McCree snorted when Hanzo wiped at the damp blood, but he didn’t jerk or pull away. In some ways, the simple gesture of cleaning the wolf’s face brought Hanzo back to his childhood nearly thirty years ago. His childhood self wiping off a five-year-old Genji who had jumped into a pile of mud after a heavy rainstorm; how Genji squirmed and whined beneath the cotton towel, begging for freedom. 

Hanzo must have spent an eternity cleaning his younger brother clean. And then the instant Hanzo looked away, Genji had jumped right back into the mud. And then, to rub salt in the wound, Genji splattered mud in Hanzo's face as well. 

“That is the best I can do for now,” Hanzo eventually said after a couple of minutes of wiping the blood passed. "I suppose we should keep moving."

Things had certainly unraveled into a new turn of events. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :O It him!


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is early I know, but I'm going to be busy for the next week and half, so after this chapter, I probably won't have time to update until the Sunday following next week. I appreciate my readers' understanding! :)
> 
> Also a full month of fic updates, woohoo!

“The comm. line is still down.” Hanzo kept pressing his communicator as if it would magically work and the team would be reconnected. It might have been wishful thinking on his part, but what was the harm in trying?

McCree never strayed far from his side as they moved ahead. Hanzo released another sonic arrow further down the tunnel after realizing there were doorways up ahead that weren’t so apparent to the naked eye. It revealed hollowed out passages. The metal frames were cut against the concrete walls--most likely hidden behind secret panels--meaning they had been installed for some time. Lena had mentioned Overwatch repurposed the subway after all, but compared to the map Hanzo briefly looked at, the entire area was one big maze to experience first hand.

A growl from McCree would have alerted Hanzo of upcoming enemies had the sonic arrow not already outlined shuffling movement after several moments passed. A cluster of men, no more than six or seven, were rapidly approaching with guns drawn to their chest. He took aim and fired at the first Talon soldier to round a corner, watching without remorse as it struck the grunt directly in the chest. Hanzo took advantage of his element of surprise and fired arrow after arrow until the Talon men were left bleeding out, though some had already stopped moving.

“Perhaps you were right,” Hanzo said as he studied their surroundings. He glanced down to McCree’s yellow eyes. “This whole situation is not as it seems. Talon was nesting here, but not to ambush us. There must be another reason for them to occupy this area.”

A door opened to their left and Talon mercenaries poured out as soon as the concrete wall parted enough. Hanzo did not have the chance to react before McCree leaped at them with ferocious speed. The wolf form was a blur among human bodies, batting two men away against the wall. Another’s gun was broken with a powerful crunch before McCree slashed at his padded chest. Hanzo watched with careful admiration of the raw power and strength; it was easy to see why McCree would keep this appearance a secret. He fired another arrow at one of the men who tried to lunge at McCree. 

Hanzo followed after the large wolf in the room and slammed on the control panel he noticed upon entering. The dragon’s influence could extend to machinery if he wished so. A surge of energy traveled from his serpentine tattoo and jostled the lock to activate. It was a handy parlor trick Hanzo had picked up during his reclusive years and one of his closest guarded secrets. 

The doors closed eerily behind them and he took the chance to familiarize himself with their surroundings. Other than the pile of unconscious men, there was a metal table and an array of tv monitors stationed at the opposite side of the room. He approached them, noticing how the video was had the current day and time printed at the very bottom with a white font. The screens had a six by six layout, with each monitor labeled from 1 to 36. 

It only caused his suspicion to grow further. “Why do they heavily monitor this area?” Especially if a bomb was going to be used.

He skimmed over each video, pausing when he spotted Lena, Hana’s MEKA, and Lúcio currently engaged with their own fight with Talon soldiers on monitor 12. Hanzo also got a glimpse of the Solider and Adelaide’s mech running from screen 27 to 28. At the very least, the others were currently alive--since the cameras seemed to be broadcasting a live feed.

There was a groan from one of the Talon soldiers and he immediately whipped around. Hanzo kneeled at the man’s side, smacked the handgun the man pulled out for; it fell and spun away on the ground. He yanked him by the collar, balling his fists against what fabric he could. “I have a few questions. You will answer them.”

“Fuck off.” The black helmet obscured the Talon grunt’s features, though his voice was deep and gruff. 

“Hm. Wrong answer.” Hanzo’s eyes narrowed and he slammed his elbow in the man’s gut. 

“You piece of--” McCree was at the other man’s side, fangs barred as he loomed over him. “What the hell is that?!”

He nearly smirked at McCree’s cooperation, but he played with a more restrained hand. “What’s blocking our communication channel?” Hanzo demanded, keeping a firm grip on them. 

The Talon man, still frozen from shock, could barely turn his visor to Hanzo. “Like I’d tell you.”

“Then you are of no use to me.” Hanzo glared down at him and then shifted his eyes over to McCree. “When men are of no use to me, they become food for my hound.”

He stood up, brushed himself off and turned away. He waved a nonchalant hand to McCree in a _do as you will_ gesture. Hanzo then folded his arms and waited, expectantly. As much destain as he felt of his performance, it was a mere fraction of the famous Shimada-gumi temperament. Any bravado the Talon soldier had died within seconds after a cry of “W-wait!” followed him.

“There’s a signal, the...the lab is the source.”

“What lab?” Hanzo faced the soldier again. “What is Talon using this lab for?”

McCree snarled and pressed his massive paw against the man’s chest, easily pinning him to the ground. 

There was an irritated huff. “They’re going to take specimens after the bomb goes off. Hard to miss someone who died in an explosion.”

“There will be no explosion,” Hanzo stated, glaring at the Talon merc and leaned down by him again. “How do we get to this lab?”

“Wish and pray? Heh.” The Talon soldier tried to take Hanzo surprise with an uppercut, but McCree bit into his arm with lightning speed. 

Hanzo sent his own punch against the man’s throat.

“ _Oh, pobrecito! Keep punching him like that and he won’t speak anymore, amigo!_ ” Hanzo froze when the unexpected voice came from his ear piece. He released the Talon soldier’s collar and stood up again, eyes darting around. “ _I’ve got to say, it’s been a hoot watching you and your group stumble about. What’s wrong? Te comieron la lengua los ratones?_ ”

“Who are you? How are you accessing this connection?” Hanzo hissed, bow knocked with an arrow.

“ _Puh-lease. Redirecting a vacant frequency to my private channel is child’s play. Just call me, Shade, Robin Hood._ ”

“You are the one blocking our channel? You do not want me for your enemy."

“ _Oh, qué miedo! If I really wanted to disrupt that comm., I’d do so much worse!_ ” ‘Shade’ giggled. “ _I’m actually here to offer my help. I think you could use a new friend right now, si?_ ” 

“You think I am foolish enough to trust you?”

“ _I’d hope not. But I don’t think you have much choice, do you?_ ” Hanzo could hear the smug confidence in her voice, how it was disguised as sweet and friendly.

Hanzo glanced down to the Talon soldier, who was writing in pain, gasping for air. “Then why are you?”

“ _Well, our little group isn’t the big, happy family Overwatch is. Don’t you want to stop half the city from exploding anyway?_ ” 

Hanzo’s eyes narrow and he looked back to McCree. The wolf kept the man pinned down but watched Hanzo, ears perked up. He pinched at the bridge between his eyes, lowering his bow down. “What help are you offering?”

“ _Think of me as your trusty little tour guide. Leave the room and take a left._ ” 

It was a foolish--very, very foolish--leap of faith. 

The door they had entered beeped and parted again. 

There was a soft growl that came from McCree and Hanzo shared a concerned stare with the wolf. He contemplated for a short time in silence while McCree took the initiative to nudge his nose against Hanzo’s palm. Hanzo hand traveled along McCree’s triangular face, short whiskers brushed on his skin like a prickled comb. He idly caught McCree’s left ear and scratched against it while he pondered over Shade’s...offer.

“Come,” Hanzo eventually beckoned McCree and stepped over the Talon man without a second thought.

McCree responded with a confused whine but nonetheless walked with Hanzo.

It was definitely a bad idea to trust this stranger as she guided them through this rat maze: how they took left and rights through doorways that opened, how they went down empty hallways. Though...perhaps she was telling the truth since they had not encountered any more Talon goons as they made their way.

“ _So, there’s been a slight detour added to our little trip. Do you mind making a rest stop, lindo?_ ”

“Tch. Leading me into an ambush?”

“ _If that was the case, I wouldn’t keep speaking to you. Pequeño arquero tonto._ ”

“Where then?” Hanzo gritted between his teeth.

“ _Upcoming door with a black x on it. Access code is 75690. I think you'll enjoy the gift, amigo._ ”

When Hanzo spotted the described door ahead of them, a large x printed on it just as Shade had explained, he came to a halt. He and McCree shared a skeptical look but Hanzo hesitantly entered the code Shade provided. A beep confirmed the entry and the doors slid apart. Hanzo erred on the side of caution as he stepped into the room first, bow drawn and waiting. McCree was on his heel, crouched low to the ground like a true predator. 

He noticed how...clean it smelled. Unnaturally clean. There was a single monitor, Hanzo noticed, that stuck out like a sore thumb. Biometrics flashed on the screen occasionally and at the top displayed “Project: Actias: stable. Felis: deceased. Selach: deceased. Anura: deceased.” in bold print. There were beeps of a monitored heartbeat, the only audible sound, and he saw the lines floating up and down on the screen in a steady wave. It reminded Hanzo of a hospital room in that regard. At the other corner, there were glass walls taking up a third of the floor space. 

McCree froze at Hanzo’s side, it didn’t take long to realize why when Hanzo followed his stare. Getting a better look at the glass walls, made Hanzo realize something--someone--was stuck inside the sectioned off part. While the figure was sitting on the ground, knees tucked to their chest, nothing looked remotely human. There were four arms, thin arms obscured by pale tan fur? Just like any other insect, their legs were stick-thin and instead of toes, their feet were curved and hooked inward. Neon green wings with long curling trails were pressed between the wall and their back. 

“What is this?” Hanzo asked, getting closer. 

Two large, black compound orbs looked up when they heard Hanzo. There was a burgundy marking on their face, the same color as the parts of their arms and legs not hidden from the fluffy fur. The antenna attached at the top of their head raised up as they looked from Hanzo to McCree and giving him a better look at how their round, fuzzy head had flaring tufts of pale coloring. They shrank further into themselves and quickly buried their head back against their arms. 

“ _This is one of Talon’s latest endeavors. When they aren’t antagonizing human and omnic relations or assassinating public figures, they like to dabble with ciencias naturales!_ ”

“We’re not with Talon,” Hanzo explained quickly, not replying to Shade, but he did not ignore her words. “Can you understand me?”

They looked up again. “Not with...Talon? How did you get here?” their voice was hoarse and weak. 

“To be brief, I am here with a group known as Overwatch.”

“Wait ...Overwatch?” They pushed themselves up to standing, though it took a lot of effort, judging by the strained grunts. The same cream fur covered more of the moth-like body than Hanzo realized, gathered mostly at their upper half. Their body was not as muscular as a human, with a compressed thorax in lieu of broad shoulders and a chest with a petite waist and abdomen. They approached their side of the glass walls, the long green underwings resembling coattails behind them on the floor, and pressed hands each with two long fingers and a flat thumb against the glass prison. Compared to Hanzo, this moth...creature came short of several inches in height. “Is that true? Overwatch is here?”

“Yes,” Hanzo said with a nod. 

“I was with Overwatch. Is this a rescue mission? M-my name is Adelaide Watts.”

“What?” As he asked, McCree produced a soft noise akin to a whimper.

“I don’t recognize you, you must be a newer member. I know there was the recall months ago,” they--no--she murmured. “I went by the callsign Tinker. Maybe you had access to previous personnel?”

Hanzo peered down to McCree when he realized something wasn’t right. The wolf’s tail remained limp and his ears raised high in alert. A soft whine came from the large beast and he didn’t move those piercing yellow eyes away.

“No. All records of previous agents have been kept secure.” Winston had been adamant about keeping the information under wraps. “However, we have already encountered an agent going by this name earlier.” Hanzo looked the moth-person up and down, disbelief looming in the air, and he tried to rationalize the denial. "Both the callsign and civilian name."

“What? But...but that’s not possible.” 

“I’ve been told this so-called Tinker has a much smaller stature anyway.” 

“I don’t blame you for not believing me. I don’t have any proof other than my word.” The furry antenna on her head flicked back and forth. The more she spoke, the more Hanzo could hear that same faint creole accent though. “I have really gone and ate the bullet this time.”

Hanzo watched McCree’s reaction, still feeling perplexed by this discovery and her words. Did the gunslinger believe her? “Were you captured by Talon? If that is the case, a doppelgänger could be...likely.”

“No...Not...not really. I’m so stupid!” she cursed. “I found out about some _upcoming_ group doing experiments similar to the one that changed my size all those years ago...so I volunteered. I just...I just wanted to be normal again.”

“And...that is how you ended up here?” Hanzo guessed. He felt pity towards her, even if he did doubt her identity, and watched as she slid down to the ground.

“But now that I think about it, Talon played me like a damn fiddle. String someone desperate along enough and they’ll do anything. I just so happened to be at the right place to hear about the right people.” The shaken voice quivered and her entire body trembled. “I woke up like this...a monster! They treat me like a test subject, poking and prodding me with needles. There were more, in the beginning, but they all died. Their bodies couldn’t handle all of...of...this…”

“More?” 

“I never saw them. They had us all locked up in partitioned cells. I think they might have been testing different animals...genetics? I don’t know for sure. I just remember...them crying or screaming.” She was staring at Hanzo, but at the same time, staring right through him. Her eyes glazed over with a shiny reflection and she bowed her head. 

“But why would they do this?” Hanzo asked, horrified at the thought of enduring torture like this. 

“If you are really with Overwatch, please...kill me…” she begged, tears pouring from those black eyes. This was foreign territory for Hanzo to witness the aftermath of such heinous experiments, but it was clear there was some kind of mental trauma she endured, maybe survivor’s guilt as well. “They never let me sleep and they starve me…”

“No!” Hanzo snapped, though his voice softened when he saw how the tone made her flinch. Something in her words struck too personal to him; words he never dared uttered during his solitude but they were too familiar. “We will help you escape. Can you walk?” 

“Barely,” she whispered.

“Move away,” Hanzo ordered while he examined the glass wall. There was no obvious control system to unlock the cell. He was prepared to break the glass if needed. 

She did not get stand up again, instead awkwardly scooting back from the glass and by extension, Hanzo. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her limbs, just as she had been when they entered the room. 

“What do you think of this?” Hanzo asked, as McCree stood unmoving. He did not know this agent as McCree or any other older member would have. If only the team’s comm. line wasn’t down. 

_“Normally, you’d need remote access to open the bicho’s door, but lucky for you,_ ” Shade teased and in an instant, the glass panel slid into the floor.

“Thank you,” Hanzo replied, voice dry.

Brow furrowing and his face wrinkling with skepticism, Hanzo then crept into the open cell. He tested the waters, to ensure the glass wouldn’t immediately close behind him and would be ready to leap out if that were the case. Moving inch by inch, Hanzo approached the moth and waited for her reaction. It was only then that he noticed the eyes had an odd membrane over them; semi-transparent, but easily pulled apart when she looked up to him once one. Perhaps acting as eyelids. It also bothered him how there was a lack of a nose, no obvious mouth either, but he would not be cruel and express that.

Her chest was heaving, her legs shaking, and her hands clenched into fists as she tried to get up again. Hanzo offered his hand when it became obvious every moment was a strain to her.

“I’m sorry,” she offered and hesitantly accepted his hand. “I was trying so hard to save my energy...The last time I ate was about five days ago.”

“It is fine.” To his surprise, she was very light and it took no effort to pull her to standing. “If you need time, I will allow you to lean on me.”

“Um..I...Maybe for a moment?” 

Without effort, Hanzo guided her right arm over his shoulder, keeping his Storm Bow firm in his free hand. Now that she was so close, he realized that scattered across her back between the wings were several burns and patches of bare skin...scales? Did insects even have skin like humans? Along her cedar colored arms were tiny pinprick holes that were long past healed and scarred at this point. Hanzo did not comment on his observations as she nodded, ready to start walking. 

“Is that another of the experiments? Someone...like me…?”

Hanzo realized she was pointing at McCree after they swiveled around, who was still frozen in place, aside from moving his head to watch them.

“No...He is a mutt. I found him digging through some garbage and he’s never left me alone since,” Hanzo explained, making a mental note to apologize to McCree for the lie. “His name is...Cowboy.”

That finally snapped McCree backed to his senses and he yipped in response, tail wagging once more. 

“Oh,” the moth-Adelaide replied, accepting the horrible fabrication without argument. Though, she looked like she didn’t have the energy to disbelieve Hanzo, judging by how her head was hanging down. “This is not how I wanted a reunion with my friends to go. Can you tell me about the imposter you met here? The one who is saying they’re me?”

“You must understand my reservation in your claims. I don’t doubt what happened to you, but…” After all, a genetically modified gorilla was now leading Overwatch. Her story was not such a stretch of the imagination. The circumstances were just too coincidental.

“I know. I understand.”

“She was piloting a mech suit. The best way to describe it would be like a metal rabbit with oversized hands.” Hanzo took a few steps forward, to test how carrying her would be. 

“Damn it,” she cursed between pants. “They bastardized my mech. Let me guess, it shifted right? My suit can convert between an offensive phase and a defensive phase. It looks really bulky too.”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes. “It did. She was speaking from inside it as well.”

“No. There are so many things they could have done, they might have planted remote controls inside it. It’s easy to install a voice coder to that disguises someone who talks with it.”

“We can sort this out when we rejoin the others.” Getting to them unscathed would be a different matter entirely.

“Right, right. Before we go, I need to get this data.” She gestured back to the console. Hanzo did more of the walking to the monitor in question, but as they approached it, the moth-Adelaide carefully stepped away from him. In her secondary set of arms, the right hand held a small and inconspicuous data drive. “For weeks, I was hoping I would just die in that cell...but now...I can at least get the names for all the other victims. Their friends or families can get closure.”

“You’ve had that on your person all this time?” 

“Not really. I suppose it can’t hurt to tell.” She tested the console with a few keystrokes. “The last time I ate, this was snuck into my food. I don’t know why but...someone wanted me to find it, I think.”

Perhaps this someone was named Shade.

Hanzo watched as she entered a few commands on the virtual keyboard display and in an instant, the project names transitioned to a detailed list. 

**Actias; Stable. Adelaide Watts. Adult. Introductory phase July 20XX.**

**Felis; Deceased.** **Trevor Mnem. Adolescent. Introductory phase January 20XX.**

**Selach; Deceased. Beverely Seidach. Elderly. Introductory phase March 20XX.**

**Anura; Deceased. Danni Blease. Adolescent. Introductory phase February 20XX.**

Just as she explained, there was the agent’s name, along with other names Hanzo didn’t recognize.The list for each project name then transitioned into more detail regarding the animal DNA, the procedure itself, and how each test subject reacted to “induced” stresses. ‘Felis’ had passed away from heart complications. ‘Selach’ died from a lung puncture. ‘Anura’ expired while in a coma. ‘Actias’ was currently undergoing reactions to natural and chemical burns and injections. Whatever that _entailed_.

“They used children too,” Adelaide’s voice was barely heard as she made a few keystrokes. Her upper wings drooped behind her lower than before. “I...I never realized how far this went.”

“Get what data you can. We must leave before we’re found out,” Hanzo urged her, though his chest tightened at her words. He wasn’t naive to the practices of the Shimada-gumi and the iron fist they clamped; so a ruthless act like this from Talon couldn’t surprise him, but even so, Hanzo was not callous. How old were these adolescents? Children from homes, children that would never see their family again. What had they endured? 

“Yeah.” With moments, the data had been transferred and she yanked the data slab from the connection port. She walked back to Hanzo’s side and silently took his offer for assistance again, cautiously leaning on his left once more. “I’m not really sure why they started this again, to answer your earlier question.”

“Again?” Hanzo’s mouth formed a slight ‘o’ as he looked down at the moth--no, Adelaide. Her eyes half-lidded as he did most of the walking.

As they made they were to the exit, she nodded slowly. “Yes. Those scientists have very loose lips and never expected any of their experiments to _listen._ Talon tried this at a time before Overwatch was forced to disband. I don’t really know the details, but there was some kind of interference from Overwatch years ago. It could have been extremely classified missions."

“ _She’s right more than you could ever know_ , _amigo,_ ” Shade finally chimed back in.

Hanzo’s eyes narrowed, but it made sense if that was the truth.

“It would be an ideal time then if there were no forces to officially oppose you,” he agreed. With a weighted gait, they exited the area; not quickly enough for Hanzo’s tastes. 

“May I ask what Overwatch is doing here anyway? It doesn’t sound like your group came to investigate this. No hard feelings though.”

“For the time being, I am uncertain how much information can be divulged.” If she was really with Overwatch before, she would understand that, right? There was also the matter of Shade’s presence on the other end of their comm. It seemed like the mysterious voice can hear them, even when Hanzo didn’t initiate to speak with her. 

“I figured as much.” 

“If we encounter any other Talon soldiers, I will need to release you to fire my weapon,” Hanzo thought to explain after a moment

“I appreciate the heads up. I’ll be fine if you do need both hands.” It might have been that she was trying to downplay how much Hanzo’s assistance mattered, but she still looked like she would keel over if he released her. "Laissez les bon temps rouler."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe. So I hope you all like moths. ovo
> 
> Have a couple of designs to help get a better picture of what she looks like! This is the initial desgin from several years ago that I had used with another fandom: * https://66.media.tumblr.com/73534c791c3d0963bcb9550f8a7af535/tumblr_inline_o0vckpgf9b1tljn6r_500.png
> 
> Whereas this picture is more updated and the main source  
> of her appearance in this fic: * https://66.media.tumblr.com/f96c533b97d15567174dc5fc41228cd1/69fd824c310c9998-78/s500x750/bd6ede3717bb691cc9566a79400f1862c7538c6a.png


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